FROM 



EDEN TO GLORY, 



OR 



FOOTSTEPS OF MERCY. 



BY 



REV. DANIEL H. FRENCH, D.D. 



His mercy flows an endless stream 
To all eternity the same. 



Ps. cxxxvi. i. 



What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it ? 

Isa. v. 4. 



t 



'RIGHT ^ 

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NEW YORK: 
ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, 

38 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET. 



o^* 






COPYRIGHT, 1889, BY 
DANIEL H. FRENCH. 



PRESS OF 

EDWARD 0. JENKINS' SONS, 

NEW YORK. 



I 

CONTENTS. 

ef 

I. 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTORY, 7 

II. 
MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE, ...... 12 

The Tree of Life, . . . . . . .17 

, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, 22 

General Facts, 29 

Why Man was Suffered to Fall, .... 32 

III. 

AFTER THE FALL, 36 

Institutions, , . . . . ? . . . .38 
Revelations before the Flood, . . . . 43 
Days of the Patriarchs, . . . . . . .45 

IV. V- 

THE CHURCH, . . . . . . V . . .50 

Necessity of the Church, 50 

Design of the Church, 51 

Origin of the Church, 54 

Encouragements by Trials, ..... 62 

Renewal of the Covenant, 63 

Bond of Union, . 67 

Israel in Egypt, . . . 68 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



V. 
ISRAEL AT SINAI, . . • . . . . . .73 

Special Laws, . . . . . . . .82 

Types, 84 

Circumcision, 88 

The Passover, ., . . . . .93 

Nationality, 96 

Basis of Free Government, . . . . .105 



VI. 

ISRAEL IN CANAAN, 109 

Achan's Sin, , .113 

Education, . . 114 

Place of Worship, . . . . . . .117 

Development of Divine Institutions, . . .118 
The Dispersion, . . . . . . . .122 

Period preceding the Advent, * . . .123 

VII. 

ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR, 129 

Private Life of Jesus, 129 

The Forerunner, 131 

Public Life of Jesus, 134 

The Kingdom, . . 135 

Spirituality of the Kingdom, . . . .137 

Visible Kingdom, 137 

Kingdom of Heaven, 140 

Civil Government and the Church, . . . 144 

The Transition, .150 

Means, 155 

VIII. 

THE SCRIPTURES, 158 

The Revelation, 158 



CONTENTS. 5 

THE SCRIPTURES— continued. PAGE 

Writers of the Scriptures, . . . . .161 

Times, . . . 162 

Written Word, 163 

History of One Nation, 167 

Subjects treated of, 168 

Plan of Scriptures, 170 

Record Preserved, 172 

IX. 

AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION, . . .175 

Persecutions, 176 

Effects of Christ's Teaching, . . . .180 
Motives, 187 

X. 

REFORMATION, 193 

America, .197 

XL 
PROSPECT, 200 

The Labor Problem, ....... 202 

Millennium, • 210 

XII. 
THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT, , , . . . 218 



FROM EDEN TO GLORY. 



I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

FOR more than half a century astronomers observed 
certain perturbations in the motions of some of the 
remote planets for which they could not account, ex- 
cept on the hypothesis that there existed an undis- 
covered heavenly body within the limits of the solar 
system, whose power of attraction was the cause of 
these irregular movements. Le Verrier and Adams 
each made mathematical calculations, and almost ex- 
actly located that supposed planet ; and Dr. Galle, 
sweeping the heavens with his telescope, discovered, in 
accordance with their computations, the remote body 
w T hich produced these variations. 

So in the great system of Truth many things may 
be difficult of comprehension, on account of the unseen 
relation which one truth bears to others ; and not until 



INTRODUCTORY. 



our spiritual vision becomes sufficiently clear to dis- 
cern these relations, can we understand the excellence 
and beauty of that Divine method by which God acts 
in His moral government of mankind. However, a cor- 
rect understanding of some truths and principles often 
leads to the discovery of others equally important. 

Misconceptions regarding the Divine plan of opera- 
tions, sometimes arise from our failing to keep in mind 
the fact that in the Scriptures the history of many 
events is given, without any account of the various 
steps leading to their occurrence being made known ; 
but our ignorance of the manner in which these events 
were brought about should not be allowed to disturb 
our trust in Him a who sees the end from the begin- 
ning/' and is all-merciful as well as omniscient. We 
should rest satisfied in the reflection that nothing 
which it would be inconsistent with any one of the 
Divine attributes to permit, was ever allowed to take 
place. 

Questions as to the origin of evil, and how its entrance 
into the world can be reconciled with the holiness and 
love of God, have perplexed and even distressed many 
sincere believers. But they should remember that finite 
mind cannot fully comprehend the counsels of the in- 
finite, and that God has certainly planned the best moral 
system possible for the government of the world ; and 
though we may not be able to solve this problem sat- 



INTRODUCTORY. 



isfactorily, still we may trust His infinite wisdom and 
love, knowing that in due time the undiscovered truth, 
like the planet so long sought for, will be revealed to 
our clearer vision, and what is now so great a mystery 
will be seen to lend added lustre to God's grand and 
complete system, and to be in perfect harmony with 
the wisdom and holiness of His purposes. 

It is worthy of notice that there is no extended rev- 
elation given in the Word of the entrance of sin, while 
the way to escape from it, and from its consequences, is 
made the main subject of the Scriptures. 

It might gratify our curiosity to be informed as to 
the communications which man, when in a state of in- 
nocence, had with God ; to know how often the angels 
came down to him, and what manner of conversation 
they had ; and to be made acquainted with all the 
ways by which Satan undertook to deceive him ; but 
since we know that sin does exist, and that the remedy 
for it is provided, instead of speculating upon its origin 
the great practical question that should chiefly engage 
our attention is, How can we get rid of it ? how be re- 
deemed from its guilt and power? 

This problem is solved for us. God indicated His 
interest in man's happiness by sending a Saviour, by 
His providential dispensations, and by the institutions 
of His grace, through which, as means, man may be 
rescued. 



io IN TROD UCTOR V. 

It is the design of this brief dissertation to justify 
God's ways to men, and to bring to view the kindness, 
as well as the wisdom of His dealings with man when 
in a state of innocence, to show His good-will under 
the former dispensation, not merely to the Jews, but to 
all mankind. 

To show that the course of the Divine procedure, 
of which we have the history in the Scriptures, was the 
best possible plan for making His truth known to the 
world under both dispensations, and to endeavor to 
impress the doctrine that all Scripture — Old Testament 
as well as New — is profitable to man throughout all 
time. 

It has long been the belief of the writer that much 
of the marrow of the promises of the Old Testament 
has been lost, on account of a mistaken view of God's 
design in His plan of operations with regard to His an- 
cient people. The impression frequently exists that the 
Old Testament promises only reached to the time of 
Christ's coming — that the New Testament is all that we 
have any interest in. To dispel this illusion, and to show 
that we have as much inheritance in the promises of 
the Old Testament as had the Jews before the coming 
of Christ ; to show that the Gospel is a unit, not two 
gospels, one for the Church before the advent of the 
Saviour, and the other for Christians since that time, 
but one and the same Gospel, differing only in the 



IN TROD UCTOR Y. 1 1 



external administration of forms, shall be the author's 
endeavor. His desire is to magnify God's name and 
help the reader, if possible, to take a larger draught of 
the waters of life. 

In order to present these truths in the clearest light 
it is thought best to begin with man's creation, and 
follow him in the path of God's mercy to the end, 
when Jesus shall gather His elect from the four corners 
of the earth, and shall " come in the glory of the Father 
with all His holy angels," to judge the quick and the 
dead. 

Many questions as to God's work must necessarily 
be left untouched, on account of the brief limits pro- 
posed for this volume and the wide field it embraces. 
It is not the design to enter into an elaborate discus- 
sion of any one topic, but to draw at will from Old or 
New Testament institutions illustrations of the love 
and forbearance of God as exercised toward our race. 



II. 

MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

The announcement that the Lord God formed man 
in His own image, and " breathed into his nostrils the 
breath of life, and man became a living soul," at once 
arrests our attention, since it indicates his noble origin, 
suggests the lofty mission he was placed here to fulfil, 
the near and honorable relation he sustained to his 
Maker, and his accountability as a rational being under 
authority. The supposition that man rose from a 
lower order of beings and developed into the human, 
takes away from the dignity of his origin and sinks 
him to the level of the irrational creatures. 

Science never will disprove God's Word, nor make 
it appear that the instinct of irrational beings can 
develop into soul, nor can it pluck the crown of 
dominion over the creatures from man's brow ; so we 
leave the discussion of this subject to others, and pro- 
ceed to consider God's dealings with man in his original 
state. 

In several ways these dealings displayed the Divine 
love to man, and although they did not prevent his 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 13 

fall, they show that in no possible way can his fall be 
charged on God. Indeed, the human mind is incapa- 
ble of conceiving of anything wanting that could have 
been done to prevent it. 

Guards were placed around him to preserve him in 
the state of integrity. Before reviewing these, how- 
ever, let us consider these four facts : 

(a) That man was created a perfect being, possess- 
ing a holy nature. He was in the " image of God in 
knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness " (Eph. 
iv. 23, 24 ; Col. iii. 10). He was perfect in his phys- 
ical, intellectual, and moral nature ; his desires and 
inclinations were toward that which is right ; his will 
was completely subject to the Divine will. He was 
created with strong mental powers, and although in- 
fantile with respect to experience, he was not so in 
respect to power. Placing him then in the Garden of 
Eden with the command to abstain from the use of a 
certain tree, was not like placing an innocent child in 
the midst of temptation — a child that had not learned 
its obligation to God, and was incapable of realizing 
its duty of obedience. 

Man's wonderful intellectual power — or as some pre- 
fer to call it, inspiration — appears in his giving names 
to the various animals, " and whatsoever he called 
anything, that was the name thereof.'' No ordinary 
man, untaught, could have possessed such intelli- 



14 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

gence. How account for so high a degree of wisdom ? 
If it were inspiration, may we not believe that the 
same inspiration enlightened him in other and more 
important things than these ? If natural intellectual 
ability gave him this sagacity, the same would answer 
for other occasions. 

(b) The conscience of the first man was sensitive 
and active ; his sensibilities, unimpaired as they were, 
would intuitively discern the Tightness or wrongness 
of an action. If man since his fall has a natural im- 
pression of his obligations to a superior Being — a feel- 
ing of accountability to a judge — much more would 
that feeling exist in him before his faculties were 
blunted and deadened by sin. 

As a rational being he could not throw off that sense 
of obligation. He manifested it after having eaten of 
the forbidden fruit by hiding himself when he heard 
the voice of the Lord walking in the garden. He did 
not then become aware for the first time that he was 
accountable to God. It was the consciousness of guilt 
that made him afraid, but he knew before he ate of the 
fruit, that if he should eat, he would be condemned. 

He was possessed of a conscience that gave certain 
and authoritative warning against disregarding the di- 
vine prohibition — and instant conviction of guilt when 
he transgressed. 

(c) When in a state of innocence he was not required 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 15 

to exercise a painful self-denial, on account of the obli- 
gation to abstain from a certain fruit, such as would 
have marred his happiness. It was his pleasure to do 
the will of his Heavenly Father, and his soul was con- 
formed to all the moral precepts of the law. As in 
Heaven, where man is forbidden all sin, the saints are 
not required to exercise a perpetual self-denial, but it 
is their delight to do the will of God and to engage in 
His service. They are perfectly happy in the employ- 
ment of the redeemed. Being conformed to all that 
is holy, it is no self-denial to refrain from what is dis- 
pleasing to God, but whatever will exhibit His author- 
ity and glory, it is their pleasure to perform. And 
thus it was with man in his original holy and upright 
condition. 

(d) That God's method of procedure toward the 
first man was in the way of a covenant or agreement. 

Man knew that God was his Creator, and that there- 
fore obedience from him was due — this is axiomatic. 
He must have known that God was infinite in His per- 
fections, and as he bore the Divine image, it was impos- 
sible that his mind should not be in accord with the 
declared will of God, or that he should not heartily ap- 
prove of any proposition which God might make to him. 
And as it was becoming the dignity of the Sovereign 
Lord that the terms of this covenant be laid down in 
the form and majesty of a command, man's will being 



1 6 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

perfectly submissive could not withhold consent, or re- 
frain from even taking delight in anything which it 
might be the Divine pleasure to impose on him. 

The command, the implied promise of eternal life if 
he obeyed, and the threatened penalty if he trans- 
gressed it ; the parties, God and man, approving — are 
all that is needful to constitute a proper, veritable 
covenant. And although Hosea alone designates it 
by this name in the words, " All we, like man (Adam), 
have transgressed the covenant " (Hos. vi. 7), yet the 
language of various other places in Scripture represents 
it as such — as where Paul says : " As by one man's dis- 
obedience many were made sinners/' etc. 

Had man not given his full consent to all that God 
required of him, his refusal to submit would have im- 
pugned the wisdom and goodness of God, and this in 
itself would have been rebellion and would have caused 
his fall ; but his sin did not lie in his objecting to the 
character of the law, but in breaking a command. 

His pleading a palliation of his offence by charging 
his sin to the temptation of the woman, shows that he 
recognized the authority giving the law, and that he 
had given his assent to it. 

The importance of recognizing this as a covenant 
transaction, lies in the fact that the service must be 
that of a subject, voluntary, not that of a slave. For 
while God has an indisputable right to command man 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 17 

to do His will, yet his obedience cannot be acceptable 
unless it be willingly rendered. 

Keeping these facts in view, we are prepared to sur- 
vey God's love and care in the means chosen for main- 
taining man in his relation to Himself, and for preserv- 
ing him in a state of happiness. To this end 9 God, in 
marvellous kindness and love, threw around him every 
conceivable safeguard consistent with his freedom. 

Among the trees of the Garden of Eden were plant- 
ed two which were of peculiar interest, as they both 
tended to confirm him in his state of innocence. The 
names given to these by God himself, not only had 
their significance, but were constant reminders to man 
of his obligations and privileges, and thus they were as 
a voice, perpetually encouraging him to remain sinless. 

THE TREE OF LIFE. 

One of these was called the Tree of Life : the 
very name reminding man of the implied promise of 
everlasting life, should he be obedient to the covenant 
which God had entered into with him. 

The purpose which this tree was to serve, we learn 
from its name, from its position in the garden, and 
from the guard which w T as set around it after man had 
broken the covenant. 

{a) The tree was for a sacramental purpose, and was 
confirmatory of the covenant. 



1 8 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

Man had a right to this fruit so long as he continued 
in his state of innocence, but the moment he sinned 
this right was taken away. 

In Revelation xxii. 14 this language is used, " Bless- 
ed are they that do His commandments, that they 
may have right to the tree of life." The figure is bor- 
rowed from the right which man originally had to the 
tree of this name in Eden, and the meaning evidently 
is, that those who embrace the Gospel have a right 
to all spiritual blessings symbolized by the tree of life. 

The name which God gave the tree was then signifi- 
cant of the blessings, of immortal life. It was a token 
to him of God's continued favor. His partaking was a 
renewed declaration of his loyalty. The permission of 
access to it was a visible sign that the promise of God 
was unchanged, and would be fulfilled. Man's accept- 
ing it was therefore confirming or sealing the original 
covenant, and his right to the tree remained as long as 
he continued faithful to God. 

{b) Man was not limited as to the number of times 
he might partake of the fruit. 

It is wholly an arbitrary opinion which many entertain, 
that the fruit of the tree of life was reserved for him to 
use only after his probation was ended. According to 
this theory, man had no right to it until his obedience 
was tested, and it was as much a forbidden fruit as that 
of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 19 

The Lord's Supper under the New Testament is in- 
stituted as a seal of the covenant of grace, and no one 
but a child of God has a right to it ; but it is not re- 
served until death, and administered once only to those 
who have been faithful through life, but may be par- 
taken of frequently, and thus the covenant be renewed ; 
so as long as man was without sin, he had a right to 
this tree of life. It was a sign of life, an evidence to 
himself that he was still in favor with God. 

True, in the Revelation the figurative language is 
used, " To him that OVERCOMETH will I give to eat of 
the tree of life, " which may look as if no right to par- 
take of the fruit could exist until his probation was 
ended ; but observe that it is also said, " To him 
that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden man- 
na "; the manna was partaken of not once only, but 
frequently, so there is no evidence from this figure 
that he was not permitted to partake of the fruit as 
often as he desired to do so. 

Sin is the only barrier in the way of access to the 
tree of life ; where, therefore, sin did not exist, we 
infer that he might partake of it when he was so 
minded. 

(c) There were no life-giving properties in the fruit 
itself. It is evident that it was not called the tree of 
life on account of its possessing the power of produc- 
ing spiritual life, for man enjoyed this before the tree 



20 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

was pointed out to him. It was not so called because 
it could restore spiritual life after it was once lost, for 
when he sinned, he was forbidden access to it. We 
can in no way conceive of it as confirming him in life, 
except as indicating to him that as long as he had ac- 
cess to it, he was in favor with God. 

The fruit of the tree was beyond all question whole- 
some, palatable, and refreshing, but it probably differed 
from other fruits mainly in its symbolical character, its 
spiritual signification being appointed for the purpose 
of strengthening man in the way of righteousness. 

We are averse to entertaining the superstitious no- 
tion that the tree of life was the ambrosia that had the 
power of conferring immortal youth, or that it pos- 
sessed any of the properties of the fabled fountain so 
long sought for. 

All these fancies, and all beliefs akin to them, are 
unworthy the sober reason of enlightened Christians. 

In the close of the third chapter of Genesis, where the 
record of man's being driven from the garden is given, 
we find these words: " And now, lest he put forth his 
hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live 
forever : Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from 
the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he 
was taken." This passage might seem to teach that 
there was a life-giving property inherent in the fruit ; 
but if this were the case, it would be unaccountable 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 21 

that man, knowing this, did not take of the fruit, and 
thereby confirm himself in his state. 

We do not affirm that Adam had eaten of the fruit 
of this tree, we only say it was his privilege to do so ; 
and that the tendency of such a sacramental seal was 
to establish him in his state of innocence, and that he 
might have eaten, and probably did eat of it many times. 

After his fall he had no right to this tree. He could 
not seal a covenant already broken, and the meaning 
of the form of words, " Lest he eat and live forever," 
simply is, " Lest man delude himself with attempting 
to obtain life by partaking of this fruit." He could 
not actually obtain life from it consistently with the 
Divine attributes, or he would doubtless have been per- 
mitted access to it ; but to partake of it now after he 
had sinned, would be a profanation ; would be putting it 
to a use for which it was never intended, and would 
lead him to look to a tree — a material object — for that 
virtue which can emanate from a divine Saviour alone. 

Let us not overlook the fact that the tree was placed 
in the midst of the garden, in such a position that man 
could easily see it and have access to it, and its name 
and sacramental meaning would combine in awakening 
most pleasing reflections of his relation to God, and 
would tend to keep alive the feeling of accountability, 
and foster the emotion of gratitude, and thus help him to 
stand, so this tree exhibited God's love and care for him. 



22 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND 

EVIL. 

With respect to the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil, there seems to be much misapprehension both as 
to its name and design. Many persons interpret the 
prohibition of the use of this one tree in such a way as 
to make it appear that God rather desired that man 
should fall, and placed this tree in the garden to tempt 
him, and give him an opportunity to sin. 

This is surely a misapprehension of its design. The 
tree was certainly placed in the garden, that nothing 
on God's part might remain undone that could be done 
to establish man and cause him to stand. 

This law requiring man to abstain from one particu- 
lar tree was useful as an educator. Its name, tree of 
the knowledge of good and evil, would teach him the 
distinction between these. 

It was not so called in reference to the peradventure 
that if man should eat he would learn the distinction, 
or know by experience what evil is, but its present use 
was to teach him with reference to good and evil, so 
that even if he had continued sinless the tree was 
rightly named. 

Satan perverted the meaning of the name and made 
it a temptation, as he afterward tempted Jesus by 
perverting the meaning of the Scriptures, but this is 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 23 

not the meaning that would suggest itself to the inno- 
cent pair. 

In several ways this tree was an educator. 

Let us keep in mind the fact that man, being an in- 
telligent moral being, was necessarily under the whole 
moral law as afterward given on tables at Mt. Sinai. 
To have violated any one of these precepts written 
on his heart would have been sinful, and would have 
caused his condemnation. Eating the forbidden fruit 
was not the only sin he could commit. 

To impress the duty of obedience, that he might not 
dishonor God and bring misery upon himself by dis- 
obedience, it was important that he be made deeply 
sensible of the authority of the lawgiver, and such a 
command as this, forbidding the use of one tree, obe- 
dience to which was a visible act, would impress the 
lesson of his obligation to obedience more deeply than 
would another kind of command, which was to be 
obeyed simply from an inward impulse of the heart, 
without an external sign. 

As an educator, this tree taught that God, who is the 
Creator, is also the proprietor of all things. 

Man could have no right to any creature without 
God's permission. Liberty is given him to use of every 
tree of the garden with one exception. He was not 
commanded under penalty to eat of all the other fruits ; 
but that he might have a law reminding him of the 



24 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

authority of God, he was taught this first and funda- 
mental truth that God is possessed of all authority, 
and that this authority must be respected. 

It was essential that this fact should be recognized 
by man and kept constantly in view, or he would have 
been at all times in danger of falling, by breaking a law 
in failing to recognize or reverence the authority giv- 
ing it ; but this command tended to inspire him with 
awe of the Great Creator, and to fill him with admira- 
tion of His divine dignity. 

Many interpreters of Scripture have assumed that 
it was the eating of the fruit that gave the knowledge 
of good and evil. That this is incorrect appears from 
the language used when after the fall God called man. 
He does not say, " Hast thou eaten the forbidden fruit 
and thereby obtained this knowledge ?" but, "Hast 
thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that 
thou shouldst not eat ? " It is disobedience to au- 
thority that is brought to view in the question. It is 
as if He had said, " Hast thou broken my law, sinned 
by disobedience, the very sin which the tree of knowl- 
edge of good and evil was placed in the garden to 
prevent thee from committing ? " 

The only seeming countenance that is given to the 
interpretation that the forbidden fruit was to teach 
man the " good state he had fallen from, and the evil 
state he had fallen into," is found in Gen. iii. 22 : " And 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 25 

the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one 
of us to know good and evil." And the question 
arises, Did man's sin make him more like God than 
he was before ? Did he possess any more knowledge, 
so that he could perceive with clearer vision the evil 
nature of sin ? On the contrary, that sin of disobe- 
dience blinded his eyes, and defaced in a great meas- 
ure his formerly clear perception of duty. It is true 
that he knew more experimentally of the evil effects 
of sinning, but he had not a better knowledge of the 
moral evil of sin. 

If Adam and Eve had understood that the name of 
the tree signified that their knowledge would be in- 
creased if they would eat of its fruit, it would have 
been a temptation to them, and would have made them 
believe more readily the words of the serpent. 

The import of the verse evidently is, " Man is reap- 
ing the fruit of his attempt to become as one of us "; 
not that he really had succeeded in becoming like God, 
but he had sought to do so. 

No one would suppose that the last part of the verse, 
" Lest he eat and live forever," is to be understood 
literally : that if he had then eaten of the tree of life he 
would have lived forever; for if life could have been 
attained in that easy manner, consistently with the 
Divine attributes, would God have required the pur- 
chase of it by the intense sufferings and agonizing 
2 



26 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

death of His Son? There are several instances in 
Scripture of modes of expression similar to this : as, for 
example, in the account of the plagues of Egypt where 
we are told that the magicians endeavored to imitate a 
miracle of Moses, and convert the dust into lice; it 
is said, " The magicians did so with their enchantments 
and they could not," * — here we must understand the 
meaning to be that they attempted to do so and failed. 

And in the case of Lot proposing to the canaille of 
Sodom, when they beset his house, to bring forth his 
two virtuous daughters, — those who are familiar with 
the use of language in the East, affirm that the literal 
interpretation put on this passage by occidental inter- 
preters is entirely at variance with the manner in which 
oriental readers would understand it, that they would 
be horrified at such an interpretation. 

Lot's language was a condemnation of their intended 
outrage ; as if he had said, " You demand an impos- 
sibility ; you might as well ask for my own daughters, 
as for these who are sheltered under my roof." 

We often speak of this forbidden tree as a test of 
man's obedience. Now, what is meant by this? 
Surely not that God needed to test him to discover 
whether or not he would be faithful. He who knows 
the heart needed no such test, but its purpose w r as that 
man might be strengthened by having some outw r ard, 

* Exodus viii. 18. 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 27 

tangible, and visible sign for himself that he was will- 
ingly subject to the authority of his Creator. As Mil- 
ton says, " The forbidden fruit — the pledge of thy 
obedience and thy faith. " 

Christians at this day need a sign of the willingness 
of their hearts to serve God, and the sincere followers 
of Jesus are greatly aided in their service by the ex- 
ternal forms of worship. Among other uses the observ- 
ance of these forms helps them to decide concerning 
their spiritual condition, for if they delight in the ordi- 
nances they have evidence that they also love the in- 
ternal requirements of God's law. 

The prohibition of the use of a certain tree was a 
command of such a nature that it was easy to obey. 
It did not require hard labor or self-denying toil, but 
merely abstinence from a single kind of fruit ; not even 
abstinence from something for which an appetite had 
been created, like that which may be formed for strong 
drink. 

The other trees of the garden were all free to man, 
an endless variety. The human mind can scarcely con- 
ceive of a command imposing so light a burden, and 
yet so perfectly answering all the purposes of a test of 
obedience. 

The fact that the command was so easy to obey, so 
simple, and apparently so unimportant, has led many 
to conceive that the breach of it was too trivial a trans- 



28 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

gression to be followed by such severe condemnation, 
banishment from God's presence forever ; but the very- 
fact that there was so little required, and that there was 
no difficulty in obeying it, enhanced the guilt of diso- 
bedience. 

The command itself was the reverse of trivial ; it was 
fraught with the weightiest lessons to man. It was the 
plan adopted by Divine wisdom for instructing him in 
the foundation principles of a holy and correct life, and 
the lessons were given as plainly as they could have 
been given by a command imposing the heaviest bur- 
den in order to obey it. 

In all this the wisdom as well as the goodness of God 
is visible, and the objections made to this procedure 
only show how feeble and limited are man's conceptions 
of what would have been the best and wisest way for 
God to treat with man. 

The threatened penalty in case of the violation of 
the command had a tendency to put man on his guard 
against all sin. The threatening was, " In the day thou 
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Was this an 
arbitrary and unnecessary punishment which God would 
inflict ? Not at all. It was a declaration of the inevi- 
table consequence of sin. 

The act of disobedience was breaking the bond of 
friendship between God as sovereign and man as sub- 
ject. It was disloyalty, ingratitude, rebellion. 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 29 

God's making known beforehand what the conse- 
quences of disobedience would be, was wholly of grace 
and love. He might have given the command and 
there have left it. It was not man's place to inquire, 
" What wilt Thou do with me if I disobey ? " or, " What 
reward wilt Thou give me if I obey?" It was his 
place to obey simply and wholly because God required 
it ; but in order to set him on his guard against danger, 
God graciously makes known to him what the dreadful 
consequences of sin must be. 

This threatening implied the promise of life if he 
should keep the covenant, and man must have so 
understood it. 

The threatened penalty, death, would appear to be 
something dreadful, as the opposite of the happy life 
he was then enjoying. 

Both by the promise and the threatening, then, was 
man strengthened and prepared to render a holy obe- 
dience, and to resist temptation. 

We thus see that the placing of these two trees in 
the garden was an exhibition of God's perfect wisdom 
and love. 

GENERAL FACTS. 

There are other facts connected with these regula- 
tions of God's providence which should be brought to 
our attention. 

When God formed man He placed him in a garden. 



3Q MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

" The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, 
and there He put man." He had made him a noble 
being, had " crowned him with glory and honor," and 
" did set him over the works of His hand." Man bore 
the image of his Maker, and since the face of Moses 
shone as a result of this being near to God and talking 
with Him on Mount Sinai, we reasonably infer that a 
similar glory appeared in the body of the first man with 
whom God held intercourse in Eden, and the departure 
of this glory at his fall, forced from him the humiliat- 
ing acknowledgment, " I w r as afraid because I was 
naked." May it not have been this shining glory 
that made the wild beasts crouch in submission to his 
authority ? 

It was fitting that such a being should dwell in a 
glorious habitation. In His love, which in everything 
appeared, God planted a garden in which grew all 
manner of trees. We do not know its extent, nor how 
it was inclosed ; at this day we cannot even tell exactly 
where it was located, nor is it important that we 
should speculate concerning it. We have reason to 
believe that in every respect it was beautiful. Its 
name, Eden, means pleasure, or " the delightsome 
place." Paradise means garden, and we always, and 
rightly, associate with it the idea of beauty. 

No enlarged description of Eden is given in the 
inspired record, but the brief mention is comprehen- 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 31 

sive, and although the imagination of different persons 
may picture different scenes, even the most exquisite 
of these will probably fall short of the reality. 

The landscape was doubtless diversified by hill and 
plain. We know that through the garden flowed the 
crystal waters of various rivers, and that it contained 
richly-laden trees ; " every tree that is pleasant to the 
sight and good for food." We imagine that there were 
there blooming flowers in variegated hues ; cool, shady 
bowers, inviting rest ; the animals at peace with man, 
and with each other, lending animation to the scene ; 
while the birds seemed vieing with each other to ex- 
press in song their gratitude to their Great Creator. 

So abounding in blessings that every sense was grat- 
ified in its fullest demands, no wonder that tradition 
should preserve and hand down its memory, and that 
Hesiod should sing of a ' Golden Age/ 

The Perfect One left no want of man unsupplied. 
It would seem that so far as the physical senses are 
concerned, the summit of happiness was reached. Man 
could not but desire to remain in the state in which he 
was then living. Every conceivable inducement was 
thus presented to cause him to desire to remain in 
favor with God, and in the enjoyment of his present 
happy condition. 

But these things gratified merely his physical and 
intellectual nature — far above all this was the enjoy- 



32 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

ment he experienced in direct communion with God. 
That he had such fellowship is unquestionable, and 
this was doubtless the chief source of his happiness in 
this terrestrial Paradise, as it will be the chief happiness 
of the saints in glory to be ever with the Lord ; so 
Jesus calls heaven Paradise, and the meaning of His 
promise to the repentant thief on the cross, " To-day 
shalt thou be with me in Paradise/' flashes on our 
minds with renewed splendor. 

That this fellowship might be continued was doubt- 
less a strong inducement for man to watch against sin. 

WHY SUFFERED TO FALL. 

With these facts before us, a difficult question springs 
up, " Why did God suffer man to fall ? " — might He not 
have prevented it ? We have seen that every conceiv- 
able inducement was presented that could be brought 
to bear in order to preserve him in his integrity. 
Were we able to fathom the depths of the Divine 
counsels, we may be sure that we could find a satisfac- 
tory answer to these questions, but " who hath known 
the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been His coun- 
sellor ?" We are sure that God in this could not act 
inconsistently with that infinite love that moves Him 
in all His conduct of the affairs of men. But let us 
bear in mind these few considerations : 

(a) God exalted man to the highest dignity of which 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 33 

his nature was susceptible in respect to his endow- 
ments. He was capable of higher attainments in 
knowledge, but as Jesus was perfect, yet grew in wis- 
dom, so man was perfect, yet was capable of increas- 
ing in wisdom. 

(b) He exalted him by making him a free agent. 
God gave him a will, reason, affections, and all these 
he was to exercise and develop. Had he not been 
created a free agent, he would have been merely as a 
statue, that could not be moved except by a power 
or force, outside of itself ; thus his dignity and honor 
would have been impaired. 

(c) All created beings were in the nature of things 
subject to their Creator. As man was created a rational, 
intelligent being, he was necessarily accountable to 
Him as the Author of law, but he could not be a re- 
sponsible, accountable being, unless he were a free 
agent, and at liberty to act according to his own will — 
free to choose or to refuse. No one denies that man 
was capable of sinning, and if v/ith that capability he 
had stood, no one could find fault with God's course 
of dealing with him ; then why find fault because man 
chose to sin ? 

It was the glory of man to be a free moral agent as 
God is, and as the angels are ; and as he had full power 
given him to maintain his integrity, as every conceiv- 
able obstruction was laid in the way of his fall, we 



34 MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. 

cannot say, and dare not say that Divine goodness left 
anything undone that love could suggest to preserve 
him in his uprightness. 

But while man was left free, a restraint was laid upon 
Satan. He was not permitted to come as an angel of 
light, as one superior in nature to man, but was only 
allowed to enter one of a low order of the creatures. 
Man was made lord " over every living thing that 
moveth upon the earth," and he was conscious of his 
superiority. For him, therefore, to be seduced into sin 
by such a creature as the serpent, or by a being asr 
suming its form, one under his own dominion, not hav- 
ing even the physical parts of a man, was certainly his 
fault, " his own grievous fault." 

No blame can be attached to God's providence. 

With respect to the temptation the Scripture account 
is brief. We are informed that the tempter's first on- 
set, which was a wily and false insinuation put in the 
form of a question, was repulsed. But it is always 
dangerous even to listen to the voice of the seducer. 
Eve manifested that she was familiar with the interdict 
which God had given, but the tempter knew, doubtless, 
that there was an inclination in human nature to aspire 
after higher attainment in knowledge. This desire was 
implanted in man for a good purpose ; the wish to ob- 
tain a fuller knowledge of God was laudable, and that 
Satan made use of this disposition, and perverted it in 



MAN'S ORIGINAL STATE. " 35 

order to cause the mother of mankind to yield, is evi- 
dent from what is related concerning the nature of the 
temptation. 

What was done by the serpent in Eve's presence, 
whether it partook of the fruit before her, without any 
evil results following, or whether the fact that it was 
able to talk, and attributed this power to the virtue of 
the fruit, we are not informed, but it is reasonable to 
believe that the temptation was stronger than would 
appear from the brief narrative, which does not enter 
into minute particulars regarding the conversation be- 
tween Eve and the serpent. 

On the other hand, it would be unreasonable to sup- 
pose that man was ignorant of the existence of the arch- 
enemy of God and himself, or that he was not cognizant 
of the fact that he was a tempter. 



III. 

AFTER THE FALL. 

But now that man has fallen, we cannot but follow 
with the deepest interest God's dealings with him ; we 
cannot be indifferent to his destiny, especially since we 
are personally concerned in the whole matter as his de- 
scendants ; and receiving and believing the revelation 
made in the Word, we cannot fail to regard with the 
profoundest admiration the wisdom and love of God as 
displayed in His providences toward him. 

Adam heard the voice of the Lord walking in the 
garden. His sin was known to God, yet the Lord does 
not come in the thunder, in the earthquake, or in the 
storm, but walking in the garden in the cool of the day, 
suggesting that He called man with the divine voice of 
pity. That presence which he had perhaps often before 
welcomed, he now fears and shuns. The state of Adam's 
mind we can only imagine. He knew that he had sin- 
ned, and he felt condemned, but instead of making a 
frank acknowledgment of his sin he endeavors to make 
an excuse, or to palliate his offense by blaming it on 
the temptation. He was, no doubt, sorry for what he 



AFTER THE FALL. 37 

had done, but sorrow is not repentance. God holds up 
before him his sin of disobedience, that he may be led 
to true repentance, and may not regret his sin simply 
on account of its consequences. 

It was truly a dark day to Adam, reproached by an 
accusing conscience, and with none to help him. 

The thought of mercy did not enter his mind, he 
had no reason to expect it, his only thought was to 
hide himself from the face of his Judge ; but God in 
tender compassion even in pronouncing sentence, gives 
intimation of His purpose of mercy*. He declares that 
the adversary who had tempted him to this violation 
of law should be destroyed. Here was the dawn of 
hope to our first parents; " The seed of the wcman 
shall bruise the head of the serpent/' was a true and 
genuine Gospel message, and it is made apparent that 
it originated in grace. It was not the suggestion of 
man, no council of angels is called, but God gives the 
gracious promise there and then. Eve charges the 
serpent truly with having beguiled her, and God pro- 
nounces the serpent's doom. We are not left in igno- 
rance as to who is meant by the serpent : " The God of 
peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." 
And He states how this shall be accomplished. The 
seed of the woman shall do this. The serpent had 
overcome man, but man's nature in union with the 
Divine, shall yet overcome it, and restore that which 



38 AFTER THE FALL. 

was lost. " As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall 
all be made alive "; that is, As all whom Adam repre- 
sented, died in him, so all whom Christ represents 
shall live in Him. We must not imagine for one mo- 
ment that God's design in the creation of man was 
frustrated, nor does what has been said imply it. 

INSTITUTIONS. 

We are now prepared for considering the provision 
which God in His kindness made for man's restoration. 

The idea of making atonement by slaying animals 
and burning their flesh, would not naturally suggest 
itself to the mind of man. It is much more likely that 
self-inflicted torture or personal suffering would occur 
to him as a suitable way of reconciling offended Deity ; 
but instead of adopting this as a mode of worship, we 
find him offering sacrifices by burning the flesh of slain 
beasts on an altar, and this ceremony became an im- 
portant feature of his religion. It must, then, have been 
suggested to him if it was not natural. 

The reasonable inference is that God appointed the 
institution of sacrifices, and made known to man that 
it was His will that they should be offered. 

(a) We are told that God clothed this poor fallen 
pair with skins. We do not understand this as mean- 
ing that He killed the beasts and placed the skins on 
them, but that He directed them to clothe themselves 



AFTER THE FALL, 39 

with skins. That these were obtained from animals 
offered in sacrifice is most probable, for that such offer- 
ings were made is manifestly taught. Abel's offering 
was not represented as some new thing, unknown until 
that day. 

(b) That God appointed sacrifices appears from the 
fact that in order to their having any meaning, they 
must have been symbolical, " for it is not possible for 
the blood of bulls or of goats to take away sin"; but 
they could not be symbolical of anything pertaining to 
salvation, unless God revealed it, for He alone knew 
what He would do for man's redemption. 

(c) It is evident that no such worship could be pleas- 
ing to God unless it were by His appointment, and man 
understood its meaning. Christ's life and death were 
not conformed to the likeness of the sacrifices, but 
they were appointed to shadow forth His life and 
death. They were photographs of Christ's sacrifice of 
Himself, and these sacrifices were designed to help 
man's faith in the promise given of a Saviour to come, 
and to keep this promise before his mind and in his 
memory, that he might live for God, and enjoy the 
hope of a blessed immortality. 

Thus was marvellous kindness exhibited toward man 
after his fall. 

We are informed that " Abel offered a more excellent 
sacrifice than Cain," and the reason it was more pleas- 



40 AFTER THE FALL. 

ing was because it was offered in faith.* Our minds 
turn at once to consider this cause. Faith — faith in 
what ? Cain believed in a God or he would not have 
brought an offering. Then we must satisfy ourselves 
as to the proper answer to this query by noticing the 
nature of the offerings. Abel's was a bloody sacrifice, 
prefiguring the death of the Saviour that was prom- 
ised ; while Cain's offering was of the fruits of the 
ground — as valuable in itself perhaps as the other, an 
acknowledgment of obligation to God, but having in 
it no reference to the Messiah, no faith in salvation 
through Him, and no trust in His merits, — therefore 
the sacrifice was rejected. Abel offered in the faith of 
the promise, but it is clear that he could not have ex- 
ercised faith, and could have had no basis for it unless 
God appointed the symbol. The fruits of the earth 
would have been as acceptable an offering as the slain 
lamb, if there was no reference to Christ's sacrifice in 
the offering. 

The history of the world from the time of Abel un- 
til the deluge is given but briefly in the sacred record. 
Enough is said, however, to indicate to us that God 
revealed Himself to the world at various times within 
this period, and that the way of redemption was clearly 
made known. 

The life of man extended over a period of nearly a 

* Hebrews xi. 4. 



AFTER THE FALL, 41 

thousand years. The people had the sad evidences of 
a lost glory. The Garden of Eden stood there a me- 
morial of the catastrophe that had befallen man. The 
flaming sword at the gate, to guard the way to the " tree 
of life/' was calculated to serve the purpose of bringing 
home to him the great truth that without holiness no 
one can dwell with God, and to impress on his atten- 
tion the necessity of true repentance before he could 
be received back to the Divine favor; so that while this 
sword was truly an emblem of Divine justice, it was at 
the same time a revelation of what was required of 
man in order to his restoration. It was not exclu- 
sively a sign of Divine wrath and vengeance, but was 
also a proclamation of the need of a Saviour, and of 
the necessity of accepting Him as He was offered after 
the fall. 

We imagine man standing before the flaming sword ; 
he does not doubt that the angel of God is guarding 
the sacred tree of life, and his mind is filled with sol- 
emn reflections regarding his great loss and the cause 
of it. How sore his heart, to be shut out from com- 
munion with a loving God ! Bitterly does he repent, 
and earnestly does the question press on his mind : 
"How can I regain that which is lost? God has al- 
ready given a gleam of hope in that first promise, what 
stands now in the way of my being taken back? It 
was sin lost me all that kindly favor, and holiness is 



42 AFTER THE FALL. 



required in order to my again enjoying the blessed 
privilege and honor of heavenly companionship. My 
sins must be forgiven; I must be holy; so I embrace 
that loving Saviour promised, who will restore me and 
my posterity/' 

It would be easy for a lively imagination in one as 
yet unused to rebellion, to read line upon line in the 
glory shining out from the cherubim at the gate. We 
know that the oriental hieroglyphics were more easily 
understood by those possessed of a vivid imagination, 
and who had never learned to depend upon letters and 
words as the sign of ideas, than by us who have not 
been accustomed to exercise our minds in that man- 
ner, and this symbol would be read in its full meaning 
by him who had just lost Paradise and begun to realize 
that loss. 

The sum of saving faith is contained in the lessons it 
taught the guilty couple : 

(a) That they were sinners. 

(b) That they were unable to restore themselves to 
God's favor. 

(c) That the Saviour promised, could remove sin. 

(d) That they must trust that Saviour in order to be 
saved. 

Would not the sight of that former home, the en- 
trance to which was guarded, awaken in them an ardent 
desire to return ? To be expelled was the most painful 



AFTER THE FALL. 43 

banishment of man from home and country ever ex- 
perienced as a punishment for any crime. How their 
minds would recur to it in waking and in night dreams, 
and their sense of loss make them long for heaven that 
they might be ever with the Lord. 

Adam lived for more than nine hundred years, and 
during this long period he could bear witness concern- 
ing God's work, and none could question the truth of 
his testimony. He was naturally the priest of his 
immediate descendants, and for a long time it would 
seem that the priesthood resided in the patriarch who 
was the head of the family. 

REVELATIONS BEFORE THE FLOOD. 

Without doubt many revelations were made, during 
the long period that intervened between the Fall and 
the Deluge, that are not contained in the Scriptures. 
Jude says: " Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, proph- 
esied of these, saying, ' Behold, the Lord cometh with 
ten thousand of His saints/ " * etc. ; but nothing is 
said in the Old Testament of his prophecy, and ex- 
cept for Jude's reference we should have no certain 
knowledge concerning it. We are told also that " Noah 
was a preacher of righteousness," f but of this too we 
should have remained ignorant but for the New Testa- 
ment record. 

* Jude 14. t 2 Peter ii. 5. 



44 AFTER THE FALL. 

Peter speaks of Christ's having been raised from the 
dead by the power of the Divine Spirit, " by which He 
went and preached to the spirits in prison, which some- 
time were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of 
God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a 
preparing," etc.* We infer from the mention of their 
disobedience that they had the revelation of the Divine 
will delivered to them, as we infer that there was a 
law, from the statement that " Enoch walked with 
God." 

God said, " My Spirit shall not always strive with 
man." f His striving with man is performed by His 
work in the conscience, and generally through the in- 
strumentality of an outward ministry. When Noah 
was given a name, Lamech, his father, said : " This 
same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of 
our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath 
cursed," \ from which it appears that a vivid impression 
of man's sin was upon his mind. It is reasonable, then, 
to believe that the Gospel was taught by direct revela- 
tion through all the ages preceding the flood, and that 
the Spirit of God wrought in the hearts of men, work- 
ing faith in multitudes. 

We need to guard against two extremes in consider- 
ing the period preceding the deluge. 

(a) We must avoid the superstitious idea that ex- 

* i Pet. iii. 19, 20. t Gen. vi. 3. J Gen. v. 29. 



AFTER THE FALL. 45 

travagant miracles were wrought — miracles like those 
imagined by the heathen, but unlike any which are 
mentioned in the Scriptures, and such beliefs as that 
there was some mysterious spiritual virtue in a material 
tree, or that angels, celestial beings, married the daugh- 
ters of men. 

(b) On the other hand, we must not suppose that 
God left the world without any evidences of His divine 
superintendence, without ordinances, or miracles, or 
revelations. This view would be manifestly incorrect. 
God's care for man was as great then as at any succeed- 
ing age, though its history is summed up in few words. 

DAYS OF THE PATRIARCHS. 

In the days of Enos the people assembled for divine 
worship. This is obvious from the statement made, 
that " then men began to call on the name of Jehovah." * 
We cannot, for a moment, suppose that prayer — the 
very breath of man's spiritual life — was neglected up to 
this time. The most reasonable understanding of this 
passage is, that under Enos' preaching and prophesy- 
ing, there was a great revival of religion, and that the 
people assembled for worship, and the true followers of 
God separated from the wicked for this purpose. 

Following this was the translation of Enoch to 
heaven, by which God taught the people: 

* Gen. iv. 26. 



46 AFTER THE FALL. 

1st. The lesson of man's immortality. 

2d. That there is a Paradise above, already prepared 
for the faithful. 

3d. That there is a resurrection of the body — this 
they might justly infer from the fact that both the soul 
and the body of Enoch were received into glory. This 
translation would arrest their attention, and would 
cause the immortality of man to be more the subject of 
thought and conversation, than simply a revelation by 
the inspiration of the Spirit would have done. It was 
an outward sign that God approved of and accepted 
the righteous, and it would influence the people to be- 
lieve what Enoch had taught. 

Behind all this, however, we learn this fact, that the 
coming of the Saviour was made known so clearly, and 
man's duties were made so plain, that Enoch could be- 
lieve and practice according to the will of God, so walk- 
ing as to please Him. 

Thus again we see God's kindness and good-will to 
men. 

But in the course of time, by mingling with the 
wicked and intermarrying with them, the inevitable re- 
sult followed — the sons of God became defiled. The 
current of sin was too strong to be resisted, and pres- 
ently the whole race of men were turned aside from 
God, and carried down the ever-increasing torrent. 
Cruelty characterized the age. " The world was filled 



AFTER THE FALL, 47 

with violence." Thus it was made visible to ages fol- 
lowing that man's heart is only evil, continually, and 
that nothing but omnipotent grace can subdue it. 
Man's pride and rebellion had attained so great a height 
that it became necessary to humble him. God deter- 
mined to destroy the world by a deluge, but the 
promise made in Eden, that " the seed of the woman 
should bruise the head of the serpent," could not fail. 
The Messiah must be the seed of the woman, therefore 
all must not be destroyed. God performs a stupend- 
ous miracle in order to fulfil His promise. He inspired 
Noah to build an ark to the saving of his house, and 
Noah's family alone — eight faithful souls — were pre- 
served. 

To two things only will I call attention here : 
{a) The establishing of God's covenant with Noah. 
He says: " With thee will I establish my covenant," 
and we must infer that He refers to a former agree- 
ment. It is not as though He had said: "With thee 
will I establish a covenant." 

{b) The distinction made between the clean and un- 
clean animals must have been clearly known by Noah, 
since he was commanded to take into the ark by sevens 
of all clean beasts ; but this distinction could not have 
been clearly understood without more definite direc- 
tions than are given in the record, unless by a previ- 
ously appointed divine institution, Noah did according 



48 AFTER THE FALL. 

to all that the Lord commanded, without making a 
mistake, and this indicates that God had previously 
established this special institution. 

(a) Immediately after the flood the superiority of 
man over the other animals was again emphasized. 
The use of animal food was permitted, and immedi- 
ately after this permission to take the life of animals — 
even the best of them, the clean beasts — follows the 
statute : "Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall 
his blood be shed." The prohibition against taking 
man's life is absolute, and then follows the reason, 
" For in the image of God made He man," indicating 
his great pre eminence over the other creatures. Thus 
lessons v/ere given as man was able to receive them — 
object-lessons most clear and impressive. 

(b) Another object in permitting the use of animal 
food may have been to prevent the people from wor- 
shipping animals. It is well known that even at the 
present day the people of some countries regard cer- 
tain animals as sacred, and give them divine honors, 
and that they refrain from the use of animal food on 
this account. 

The granting permission to kill and eat them would 
clearly show the folly of worshipping them as gods. 
Isaiah reasons thus with respect to the wood of a tree, 
of which an idol was made : " He burnetii part thereof 
in the fire, etc., and of the residue thereof he maketh a 



AFTER THE FALL, 49 

god."* His design is to show the absurdity of such 
conduct. 

(c) His limiting them to the use of the clean animals 
may have been in order to teach the people purity 
of life. 

(d) They may have been thus restricted for sanitary 

reasons. 

* Isaiah xliv. 15-19. 



IV. 

THE CHURCH. 

But as yet there was no regularly instituted Church 
to witness against the wicked practices of men. Noah's 
descendants had multiplied, the earth was once more 
inhabited, and as before there were the two classes — 
the righteous and the wicked — and the world was fast 
sinking into idolatry and sin as it had done before. 

NECESSITY OF THE CHURCH. 

The necessity for such an institution as the Church 
appears — (i). From the history of the world before it 
was established. 

The whole human family had fallen away from God, 
and this notwithstanding their receiving the revelation 
from our first parents, who had experienced the delight 
of uninterrupted communion with God, and who saw 
their folly in disobeying. Those who lived before the 
flood could receive the facts from Adam's own lips, or 
from the lips of those who had seen and conversed 
with him, yet this testimony was not sufficient — they 
walked in the path of sin. 



THE CHURCH. 51 



Individual witness for the truth and against evil 
proved insufficient. It was given before the deluge, 
but in spite of it sin had increased. It was necessary 
as a means of preserving the knowledge of the truth 
in the world that God's people should be united to- 
gether into one society. 

(2). The necessity appears from the danger arising 
to the people of God from mingling with the wicked. 
The heart being naturally more prone to evil than 
inclined to good, it is much easier for sinners to lead 
men into evil, than for the righteous to lead sinners to 
righteousness, hence the need of separation. 

(3). It appears in what really occurred afterward 
and which God foresaw. All the nations of the earth, 
except the Hebrews, became idolaters, and even they 
often for a time turned from God to idolatry, notwith- 
standing the light which they possessed, and the won- 
ders which the Lord had wrought before their eyes. 
The people needed strong ties to bind them to God 
and truth. 

DESIGN OF THE CHURCH. 

The design in choosing a certain people for Himself 
and separating them from the world is apparent. It was : 

First. To preserve the knowledge of God among 
those chosen Hebrews themselves. This had been 
promised as a great blessing. God loved His people, 
and therefore made Himself known to them. 



52 THE CHURCH. 



Second. To teach surrounding nations. When they 
heard of the mighty works done by the God of Is- 
rael, it is said " their hearts melted. " In the time of 
Solomon there were at one time 153,000 foreigners em- 
ployed in building the temple, all of whom had oppor- 
tunities of learning of the true God, and of carrying 
that knowledge to their own countrymen. The very 
exclusiveness and peculiarities of the Israelites attract- 
ed the attention of other nations. 

Third. The temporal happiness of the people of 
Israel was promoted by this separation. They were 
raised above the level of the heathen in intelligence 
and virtue: their children were to be taught the 
law. 

Fourth. Another purpose was to make the people 
holy. 

Fifth. And finally, to prepare for the coming of 
Christ. 

There seems to be an impression in many minds 
with regard to God's choosing the Hebrews that re- 
flects on the Divine honor, and implies that God's love 
is limited. The feeling when expressed is something 
like this : that God arbitrarily chose one nation as His 
own, and was unwilling that His Gospel should reach 
out beyond the limits of this chosen nation. That the 
Gospel was more exclusive under the Old Testament 
than it is under the New. That there was more of 



THE CHURCH. 53 



judgment and less of mercy in God then than there 
is now. 

But let us stop one moment for reflection at this 
point. " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and 
forever. ,, When here on earth, in His very first ser- 
mon, He corrected the idea which the Jews then enter- 
tained, that the Old Testament was exclusive. He 
refers to two instances, that of the woman of Sarepta, 
and of Naaman the Syrian, to show that the Gospel of 
mercy was not confined to the nation of Israel. 

The declaration to Abraham that in him all nations 
of the earth should be blessed (which refers to Christ 
and to the people of God), refutes the statement that 
God's mercy was confined to the Jews. God placed 
the Jews for a light to the WORLD, not merely to be 
light to a little circumscribed territory. They were 
given a land so located among the nations, that the 
knowledge of the true God, and the faith of the He- 
brew people, might be known to all that were willing 
to know. He performed miracles and wonders, not 
that His people alone, but that all nations might know 
that He was the only true God, and doubtless multi- 
tudes in other nations embraced the true faith and 
were saved, even though they were ignorant of Mosaic 
institutions. 

He sent Jonah out to preach to the Ninevites — Gen- 
tiles — that they might not perish, but might repent of 



54 THE CHURCH. 



their sins. Jonah was unwilling to go, but God re- 
quired him to do as he was commanded, and Nineveh 
repented at the preaching of Jonah. It was then, not 
that He might exclude all other people from knowledge 
and salvation, that He placed His law in Israel and 
charged them to teach their children that they might 
know and trust the true God ; but, on the contrary, 
that the whole world might receive light through 
them. 

What advantage, then, had the Jews? Chiefly this, 
that the oracles of God were committed to them. 
The light shone more directly upon them, it is true. 
They had the ordinances, the ark, and the covenants, 
but the Gospel was as free then as it is now. When 
Ruth came from her own land to trust under the 
shadow of Jehovah, she was not rejected, but was as 
welcome as any Jewess would have been. Isaiah says, 
" Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come to the waters/' 
He does not mean let the thirsting Jew alone come. 
The call is universal. 

ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH. 

Let us notice how admirably the Church was adapted 
to serve the purpose for which it was appointed : 

(a) By being formed of the descendants of one man. 
{b) By i£s constitution and laws. 
(c) By its location. 



THE CHURCH. 55 



God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees. 
Stephen relates the history of this call and its results 
in his address before the council of Jews, as recorded 
in the Acts of the Apostles.* God determined to 
organize a church in the descendants of one man : one 
who would be faithful to Him, and who would com- 
mand his children after him. With him He entered 
into a covenant in which his posterity was embraced 
and became heirs of the promise. In him his descend- 
ants were consecrated to the service of God, and that 
the promise might stand out prominently, God changed 
his name from Abram — high father — to Abraham, father 
of multitudes, and thus by his name was the promise 
kept ever before him. 

The human conception of forming a society is, that 
a few persons specially interested in a cause unite 
together, form a constitution, organize, and agree upon 
a certain course of conduct. Such was not the case in 
the formation of the Church. 

Abraham is not directed to call Job and Nahor, 
Melchizedek and others together and constitute a 
society for the service of God, but it is made a family 
matter. God binds the society together with the 
strong bond of consanguine relationship. He makes 
the promise an inheritance descending from a father to 



* Acts vii. 



$6 THE CHURCH. 



his faithful children, and binds the people with a com- 
mon bond of mutual interest and honor. 

He called Abraham out from among his kindred, 
who had begun the indulgence of idolatrous practices ; 
separated him from former companions, led him into a 
foreign land to dwell among strangers, and in order to 
prevent his becoming identified with the people, and as 
a consequence tainted with their idolatry, he was not 
allowed to own a foot of the land into which he was 
called. By a special revelation he was constituted the 
head of an organization, which was to exist through all 
time. He obeyed the call and followed God's leadings 
with filial faith. The narrative of the origin and prog- 
ress of the Church is the most remarkable, interesting, 
and instructive in the annals of history. 

God entered into a covenant with Abraham. He 
did not simply give him a promise, but made an 
agreement with him. Let us reverently inquire into 
some of the reasons why this course of procedure was 
adopted. 

(a) It may have been to beget in Abraham and his 
posterity a stronger faith. A covenant was then, and 
is to-day, regarded as more certain of fulfilment than 
is a mere promise. An oath was looked upon even by 
the Greeks, whose character for veracity was far from 
enviable, as imposing a sacred obligation that could 
not be broken. 



THE CHURCH. 57 



A covenant, therefore, which was confirmed w T ith an 
oath, as was this, would be trusted more confidently. 

It was not more certain in this case than a promise 
from God would have been, but He graciously accom- 
modated Himself to man's weakness. 

{b) Such a covenant tended to make man more 
watchful against sin, so that the promise might be real- 
ized. He could not miss the blessings promised if he 
himself would be faithful. If he did not realize to the 
extent of his highest expectations, he could find the 
cause of it in his own unfaithfulness. 

(c) Entering into covenant naturally tended to make 
Abraham realize the nearness of his relation to God, 
more than he could have done by a mere promise. 

id) The manner of declaring the covenant was such 
as to inspire his faith. It was not simply by a voice, 
but by a visible sign. 

A horror of great darkness fell on him, so the remem- 
brance of that night could not soon fade from his mem- 
ory. God directed him in these words: "Take me an 
heifer of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young 
pigeon. " Abraham did so. " He took unto him all 
these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each 
piece one against another, but the birds divided he 
not." * This was according to the most solemn man 
ner of ratifying a human covenant. 

* Genesis xv. 9, 10. 

3* 



58 THE CHURCH. 



Humanly speaking, this proceeding could not fail to 
impress deeply both his memory and his heart. From 
the form of ratifying an agreement, the covenant itself 
got its name. The Hebrew word for covenant comes 
from a word that means to cut asunder.* The parties 
contracting passed between the parts of the divided 
animals. So here a smoking furnace and a lamp of 
fire, symbolizing the Divine presence, passed between 
the pieces. It was a visible ratification of the covenant 
containing the promise of the Messiah, and also of the 
promise to Abraham, that the Church would be set up 
in his seed. 

Paul says : " Though it be but a man's covenant, yet 
if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth or addeth 
thereto," much less can God's covenant be broken. 

The fact of this being a covenant transaction with 
Abraham does not imply that the parties entering into 
it were equal, nor that man could perform a service 
that v/ould be of advantage to God, but simply that 
God would have man's consent. A covenant conveys 
the idea of willingness. A covenant transaction is a 
willing transaction. God's blessings must be received 
into willing hearts. Spiritual blessings cannot be en- 
joyed by hearts unsubdued by grace. Therefore God 
did not come to Abraham with the authority of a Cre- 
ator, and demand obedience nolens volens ; nor did He 

*rra 



THE CHURCH. 59 



simply give a conditional promise, but entered into 
covenant that man might realize that it is a privilege 
he enjoys, and that he is acting freely and not under 
compulsion. God does not force His blessings on man, 
but treats him as a reasonable being. All are invited 
to partake of His blessings, but He does not thrust 
them upon any. 

Every promise comes to man in the nature of a cov- 
enant. There must be a willing mind before there can 
be a realization of the promise. The promises are made 
to faith, and the unbelieving do not inherit them, be- 
cause they do not accept them by faith. 

The promises are made to all in offer ; they are in 
the Gospel offer, or rather they are the Gospel offer 
itself, which comes to each one of Adam's fallen race. 
And each one may ask himself, <; May I receive this 
promise as made to me?" and answer, " It is mine in 
offer. I have the Divine warrant to take it. The 
blessings are held out in the Divine hand to me, and 
placed before my face for acceptance. I do take them. 
I believe them, and therefore they are mine"; and he 
can rest confidently on God's faithfulness for their ful- 
filment. If they are offered to our faith, and we exer- 
cise that faith, God has graciously bound Himself to 
fulfil them to us. Not to do so would be for Him to 
trifle with us. He never gives us faith to receive the 
promise unless He has determined to fulfil it. John 



6o THE CHURCH. 



says, v. 15 : " If we know that He hear us, whatsoever 
we ask we know that we have the petitions that we 
desired of Him " — that is, if our prayers be made in 
faith, so that they are acceptable to God, we have the 
assurance that we have the blessings asked for, they 
are sure to faith. 

It is a child's duty to obey its parents, but a father 
may promise his child a reward if it performs a certain 
work ; the promise is gracious — he might have given 
the command without it, and have required his child 
to obey. Fie was under no obligation to make any 
promise at all, but to encourage it, and to make the 
task lighter, he kindly does so. When the child has 
fulfilled the required duty, the father is obliged by his 
own word to bestow the reward. So all the promises of 
God are gracious, given in love as incentives to obedi- 
ence, as encouragements to duty, and He in sovereign 
mercy gives strength to enable us to do His will. 
When we have done this, we can lay claim to the 
promise. 

In order to our receiving blessings, two things are 
necessary : 

(a) God's offer, or willingness to give. 

(b) Man's willingness to receive, — so the promises 
themselves are sometimes denominated a covenant. 
" This is the covenant that I will make with the house 
of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will put 



THE CHURCH. 61 



my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, 
and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a 
people."* Covenant f is the term used, yet this reads 
like a simple declaration, but the promise implies that 
the people would be willing to keep the law and be- 
come the children of God. 

Again it is said, that Jesus would be given " for a 
covenant of the people," % and this implies that the 
people will be willing to receive Him, and will gladly 
agree with God's plan of saving them through Jesus 
Christ. None, then, but those who are willing to re- 
ceive, can become partakers of the blessing. How this 
willingness is produced in us is not the question before 
us, " but they shall be willing in the day of His power." 
All the promises received, come as a covenant betv/een 
God and man. 

In this declaration we do not overlook the covenant 
between the Father and the Son, nor forget that all 
blessings come through Jesus Christ; but simply affirm 
that in the bestowal of them our hearts must be made 
willing by His grace, otherwise God would be com- 
pelling us to be His servants, and a service that is 
compulsory cannot be acceptable. Paul says concern- 
ing giving, "As there was a readiness to will, so there 
may be a performance also out of that which ye have ; 

* Jer. xxxi. 33. t DH3. t Heb. viii. 10. 



62 THE CHURCH 



for if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted accord- 
ing to that a man hath, and not according to that he 
hath not," and he instructed the people to contribute 
" not grudgingly, nor of necessity, for the Lord loveth 
a cheerful giver." The heart must be in harmony with 
God's will, and nothing is really obedience that is not 
done voluntarily, ' heartily/ 

In this covenant on God's part is the gracious offer 
of salvation through Christ's merits ; and on man's 
part is faith or acceptance, a willing mind that sur- 
renders itself wholly to God. God prepares His people 
for His blessing and then bestows it. He empties that 
He may fill. 

This covenant between God and Abraham was a 
binding force that united the Church. 

ENCOURAGEMENTS BY TRIALS. 

(a) He encouraged the faith of His people by the 
trials to which Abraham's faith was subjected. He 
brings him to the farthest reach of his faith before He 
fulfils His promise. It seemed impossible, so far as 
human perception was able to discern, that the promise 
should be fulfilled. He was now one hundred years 
old and his wife ninety, and yet he had no child. The 
promise was that his seed should be as the stars of the 
sky for multitude. It required a miracle to fulfil it. 
According to the promise a son was given him. 



THE CHURCH, 63 



(b) He was afterward directed to offer this son as a 
sacrifice ; apparently this would defeat the accomplish- 
ment of the promise, but his hand was stayed as he 
stretched it forth to slay his son. God had not forgot- 
ten His promise, and rather than it should fail, He 
wrought a miracle to fulfil it. However great the ob- 
stacles may be which stand in the way of the fulfilment 
of His word, they will all vanish before His Almighty 
power and love. 

These instances of faithfulness were a sufficient basis 
to all future generations for confidence in God, and 
gave a stronger assurance than if His word had been 
accomplished without the display of His divine power. 

RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT. 

The covenant with Abraham was renewed with 
Isaac. 

(a) It was the same covenant which had been made 
with Abraham renewed, not another. 

(b) It w r as not the promise merely that was renewed, 
but the covenant. The blessings promised were prized 
as a great boon. It was not only a great honor to 
be the progenitor of the Messiah, but wonderful 
blessings were anticipated from His coming. And 
the hope that each entertained that he might be 
the progenitor of the promised Saviour, had, doubt- 
less, something to do in causing the people to be care- 



64 THE CHURCH, 



ful to keep the genealogy correct ; so careful were they 
in this matter, that the genealogy of our Saviour was 
never disputed by the Jews, w 7 ho would have gladly de- 
nied that He was a descendant of Abraham, and of the 
lineage of David. 

Again the covenant was renewed with Jacob. The 
circumstances that led him into the possession of the 
blessings of the promise are worthy of special notice. 
Esau was the first-born, and was supposed to be entitled 
to the inheritance, but Jacob, and Rebecca his mother, 
saw from the life of Esau that he was not obedient to 
the requirements of the covenant made with Abraham 
and Isaac. He was a reckless, worldly man, and already 
associated with idolaters, and they both greatly desired 
that Jacob, w 7 ho valued the blessings, should obtain 
them. Indeed, the covenant could not be confirmed 
with Esau when he did not value the blessings and was 
unwilling to fulfil its conditions. 

The strength of Jacob's desire for them appears in 
the means which he adopted to secure them. Unlaw- 
ful means, unworthy of such a man. But while we may 
condemn the course he pursued to obtain them, we are 
compelled to admire the ardor of the desire to possess 
spiritual blessings that impelled him to this course. 
Fie saw the value of that which his brother lightly 
esteemed, and that desire doubtless prevented him 
from realizing how dishonorable as well as sinful were 



THE CHURCH, 65 



his proceedings. There were many extenuating circum- 
stances in Jacob's case which, if we overlook, we do 
him injustice, and render obscure the Divine dealings 
with him. 

(a) If Esau had prized the blessings greatly, he would 
not have been so willing to part with them. He was 
certainly not so near death as not to be able to survive 
until he could secure enough in his own home to satisfy 
his hunger. Paul intimates this when he says: "Who 
for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." 

(fr) Jacob evidently saw that his brother had not that 
faith that would make him value the privileges of this 
covenant as he himself did, or he would not have dared 
to make the proposition to him to sell his birthright, 
and he probably felt in some measure justified in seek- 
ing it in this manner, from this fact, that he saw Esau's 
low estimate of its value. 

The conduct of Jacob is reprobated by many so 
strongly that they are ready to pronounce him an un- 
principled defrauder, and many go so far as to pro- 
nounce the character of Esau superior to that of Jacob ; 
but those who so decide do not go back far enough in 
their investigations of character. 

There was more magnanimity, more principle, more 
wisdom and goodness of heart displayed in the earnest 
and burning desire of Jacob to possess the promises of 
God made to Abraham, and to have the honor of being 



66 THE CHURCH. 



the progenitor of the Messiah, than was shown in all 
the instances recorded of Esau's conduct. 

God knew the heart of Jacob. Had it been a mere 
temporal blessing he was seeking, his desire would 
have been inordinate and sinful, and his conduct would 
have been more reprehensible; but the desire for spir- 
itual blessings cannot be too strong, and the strength 
of the temptation to do as he did, seeing his brother 
esteem so lightly that which he himself valued above 
all earthly treasures, was very great indeed. God showed 
that He loved Jacob. His desire was right ; it was 
honoring to God ; it indicated strong faith. So, while 
He punished him for supplanting his brother, He knew 
the grace in his heart which led him to prize the bless- 
ing of the covenant so highly. He met him in Bethel 
and renewed the promise, and confirmed His cove- 
nant. " He met him in Bethel, and there He spake 
with us."* 

We need not expect to find perfection in any of the 
children of God, and we should remember that the 
light which we enjoy was not shining so brightly then. If 
God's people had been perfect they would not have 
needed the multitude of ceremonies which He required 
them to observe. 

We are led to see in all God's dealings with these 
three patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — that He 



* Hosea xii. 4. 



THE CHURCH. 67 



was preparing a people for Himself, and we find fre- 
quent reference to this in the Scriptures. In the case 
of each of them the promise seemed at times to be im- 
possible of fulfilment, but faith prevailed, and God's 
word was verified. Abraham, after he had patiently- 
endured, obtained the promise. God's word is a tried 
word, and is found true and steadfast. 

BOND OF UNION. 

Now the descendants of Abraham began to increase, 
and at the beginning of the enlargement of the Church 
His people needed — 

(a) A strong bond of union. 

(J?) Discipline. 

(c) To be separated from the world. 

(a) The first thought that arises in our minds in con- 
nection with God's forming His Church from one com- 
mon parentage, is that it would conduce to the unity 
and stability of the nation. 

The people could not be oblivious of the fact that 
their common father was the friend of God, and stood 
in covenant relation to Him, and that they all were 
heirs to these covenant promises. It certainly proved 
effective in keeping these people united for a long 
period. 

(b) Their suffering together united them with the 
bond of sympathy. We all know what strong attach- 



68 THE CHURCH. 



ments are formed among soldiers who have shared 
hardships together, and together have been exposed to 
dangers; so the suffering which these chosen people 
endured together when in bondage, united them the 
more closely. 

(c) They saw great wonders wrought for them as a 
people; in these they had a common interest. They 
were honored together, and could not but realize that 
they had a common heritage, since the promise of a 
goodly inheritance was made to all the tribes of Israel ; 
and their long sojourn together in the wilderness could 
not fail to teach them that they were separated for the 
Lord, that they as one people were chosen to do ser- 
vice for Him. 

ISRAEL IN EGYPT. 

Let us mark God's providences toward the children 
of Israel in Egypt. The people must be kept apart 
from idolaters. " Evil communications corrupt good 
manners. ,, The land of Canaan had been promised to 
them, but they were as yet too few in number to oc- 
cupy it, and were too many to dwell in the land as they 
then were without mingling with the inhabitants and 
learning their ways. Where shall they dwell until they 
are ready for Canaan ? God's care had provided for 
this emergency. The Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, had 
been expelled from Egypt. The fertile land of Goshen 



THE CHURCH. 69 



was just at this time unoccupied, and would be a suit- 
able abode for them for many years. 

Settled in it they would not need to mingle with the 
idolatrous Egyptians, but how should they obtain the 
right to dwell there ? The land belonged to Egypt, and 
they had no claim upon it. God's wisdom wrought out 
the way. The history of Joseph and the famine is the 
solution of the problem. That history is divinely beauti- 
ful, and the matchless kindness of God which it ex- 
hibits, a fitting theme for the harps of angels to cele- 
brate. 

After the Hebrews came into Egypt they remained 
loyal subjects of Pharaoh for many years, but they so 
increased in number that at last the land was too small 
for them. To remain there would necessitate their 
associating with the idolatrous natives. God now raised 
up another dynasty — a king that knew not Joseph. 
The Israelites were in a land so fair and productive that 
they were naturally disposed to remain in it ; this, as 
we have said, they could not do, and remain separate, 
therefore God suffered this new king of the land to 
mightily oppress them, to make their lives bitter with 
hard bondage, so that the people desired strongly a 
country where they might have their liberty. The plan 
which Pharaoh adopted in order to retain them, led to 
an increasing desire on the part of the Hebrews to be- 
come free. 



70 THE CHURCH. 



" The Lord to naught the counsel brings 
Which heathen nations take, 
And what the people have devised 
Of no effect doth make." 

The heavy hand of God on His people was the hand 
of mercy to deliver them, though mercy was hidden for 
the time by the cloud of affliction that enveloped 
them. 

The care taken to keep this chosen people apart from 
the world, to preserve them pure and keep them united, 
would be of no service unless they were instructed in 
the truth for which they were to live and through which 
they were to become the enlighteners of the world. 
Their establishment was God's plan for preserving the 
truth and holding it up to illumine the world. 

In the great deliverance and the long journey they 
were to take in the wilderness, the Hebrews needed a 
leader and teacher who was possessed of decision, faith, 
and knowledge ; one who was of a forbearing dispo- 
sition, and yet full of courage, who would neither quail 
before the angry threats of the rebellious Israelites nor 
the strong hosts of heathen enemies, and who would 
under every trial be faithful to his God and to the high 
trust committed to him. 

Just such a leader God raised up for them in Moses. 
Even Aaron was not sufficiently firm to be the leader 
of Israel, but Moses was possessed of such nobleness of 



THE CHURCH. yi 



spirit that he could stand up against all opposition and 
maintain the right. When God proposes to effect His 
purposes He prepares His instruments for accomplish- 
ing them. His wisdom is sufficient to enable Him to 
perform His will through secondary causes when He 
desires to do so, without resorting to miracles. When 
He raised up Moses He gave him so much grace as en- 
abled him to endure the great manifestations of His 
glory. The people had not attained to such a degree 
of grace as he. God honored Moses above all the host 
of Israel, and thus increased his influence and power 
over them. 

The people having been prepared by oppression 
for leaving Egypt, a suitable leader having been raised 
up, the Israelites having elders of their own to attend 
to all the minor regulations for their journey, everything 
was ready so far as they were concerned. The next 
thing necessary was to obtain the consent of Pharaoh, 
but this was not an easy thing to secure. The Hebrews 
were too profitable as servants, their labor in building 
treasure cities and other great public works was too 
valuable for him to be willing to release them. 

Pharaoh did not know the God of the Hebrews, but 
he was not an atheist ; he worshipped his own gods, and 
supposed them superior to the God worshipped by the 
Hebrews; but the miracles performed, each one of 
which was a stroke on some god in which the Egyptians 



72 THE CHURCH. 



trusted, compelled him to yield to the request of 
Moses. 

Thus Israel's faith was encouraged by the exhibition 
of God's power over the gods worshipped by the most 
learned and powerful nation then in existence. 



V. 

ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

The people were led not directly and by the 
nearest route to Canaan, although the same mighty 
hand that divided the Red Sea and that afterward fed 
them with bread from heaven, and gave them water out 
of the flinty rock, was able to make a way for them in 
that direction. There was a work to be done for them 
which could be better effected by taking the way to 
Sinai. 

There God covenanted with the whole people. It 
was a renewal of the ancient covenant made with 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not a new and different 
one, but the circumstances under which it was renewed 
were peculiar. One of the promises made to Abraham 
was that he should have a numerous offspring, and now 
that the number of his descendants was increased and 
they were to be formally organized, God, who had 
wrought great things for them already, still further 
would impress the people with a sense of His majesty 
in His manner of announcing the terms of His covenant. 

He led them to the side of Sinai, a bleak, desolate 
4 



74 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

region, where was nothing to distract the attention or 
draw off their minds. It is true that the great multi- 
tude of people present would relieve in some measure 
the desolate aspect of the place, hut still the unarmed 
masses, cut off as they were by mountain and chasm 
from ail the outside world, with Sinai towering in awful 
majesty above them, must have been impressed with 
the strangeness of the situation. 

We imagine that the location was peculiarly fitted 
to prepare the minds of the Israelites for receiving the 
law. Washington Irving's description of the effect of 
a sea-voyage would apply to their case. He says : 
" The temporary absence of worldly scenes and em- 
ployments produces a state of mind peculiarly fitted to 
receive new and vivid impressions. The vast space of 
waters that separates the hemispheres is like a blank 
page in existence. There is no gradual transition by 
which as in Europe the features and population of one 
country blend almost imperceptibly with those of an- 
other. From the moment you lose sight of the land 
you have left, all is vacancy until you step on the op- 
posite shore and are launched into the novelties of an- 
other world. In travelling by land there is a continuity 
of scene and a connected succession of persons and inci- 
dents that carry on the story of life and lessen the effect 
of absence and separation." Desert scenes are said to 
i.npress the mind in much the same way as a sea-voyage 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 



7$ 



does. Here in the wide and barren Arabian desert the 
people stand and behold the lightnings and hear the 
thunders that precede and attend the revelation of the 
law. 

The great wild mountain reaching up until its top 
kissed the clouds ; the people, apparently shut out 
from all communications with the world, stand in the 
awful Presence. God came down and touched the 
mountain and it smoked. The whole mount seemed 
to be aflame ; the thunders shook it to its base. All 
the people trembled ; they seemed to be very near to 
the great God. None of the gods which the nations 
served had ever appeared in such majesty and glory to 
their devoted worshippers. Such a scene had never 
before been witnessed on earth, and it was a convincing 
proof to the Hebrews that their God was the true God, 
the Almighty Sovereign over all things. 

In the midst of this glorious manifestation of Him- 
self, God proclaimed His law, all the moral teachings 
of which are summed up in the ten commandments. 
He had before this announced the covenant, had said 
to all Israel, " Now, therefore, if ye will obey my voice 
indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a pecu- 
liar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth 
is mirle. ,, The people had answered, " All that the Lord 
hath spoken we will do, and Moses returned the words 
of the people unto the Lord." The language of God 



76 ISRAEL AT SINAL 

to them shows that they were already in covenant with 
Him. 

In renewing the covenant God had given them such 
tokens of His presence as to fully convince them that 
He is the Almighty God. They entered into covenant 
before the law was promulgated. The law was given to 
them, then, not as a covenant of works, but as a rule 
of life. 

The scene at Mount Sinai — sublime and awful — was 
one which the people would always remember, and, re- 
membering, would not be likely to forget their cove- 
nant. So great was that sight that Moses said, " I 
exceedingly fear and quake." The awful majesty of 
God appeared, and they were conscious that He recog- 
nized their presence. He placed boundaries about the 
mount, that they might not approach too near. 

The question presents itself : Why was the law de- 
livered to God's covenant people amid thunders and 
lightning — would not the proclaiming of the law in 
this manner indicate wrath ? It certainly produced 
fear in the people. Paul says, Heb. xii. 18, " For ye 
are not come unto the mount that might be touched, 
and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and dark- 
ness and tempest. But ye are come unto Mount Ziom" 
Did God not give His law to His people in love ? Was 
not Israel at that time His people ? He said to Pharaoh 
through Moses : " Thus saith the Lord God of the He- 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. yj 

brews, i Let my people go, that they may serve me.' " 
They were acknowledged by God as His v/hile they 
were in Egypt. They were not under the covenant of 
works, but under the same covenant that Abraham had 
been under. They were not all good people, but they 
were under the external administration of grace. They 
constituted God's visible kingdom. 

(a) The children of Israel, although they had been 
kept a separate people from the Egyptians, had still m 
some measure become corrupted by their idolatry, as 
is evident from what afterward occurred, and no idol- 
ater can have a very high veneration for his god, be- 
cause it is only an imaginary being that cannot be 
greater than his imagination can conceive. God saw 
that it was necessary that the people be made to re- 
alize that the true God was greater than any imaginary 
deity — that He was a being to be feared and rever- 
enced and worshipped* 

The greatness of God is the subject of much of the 
Revelation. He is set before us as the Creator, as the 
Supreme Ruler- — as He " who taketh up the isles as a 
very little thing, who weigheth the mountains in scales, 
and the hills in a balance "; as " measuring the heavens 
with a span "; as " binding the sweet influences of the 
Pleiades and loosing the bands of Orion "; as u bring- 
ing forth Mazzaroth in his season, and guiding Arcturus 
and his sons." The design appears to be to create in 



78 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

us reverence for His name, and that we may not look 
on Him as an equal, but as one so infinitely exalted 
above us as to require adoration in all His intelligent 
creatures, and the holy exercise of the heart in all who 
would approach His presence. 

There is a deplorable lack of reverence in much of 
the w r orship of the present day. Yet without reverence 
we cannot see God's condescension, we cannot feel the 
gratitude we ought, we cannot have unlimited faith. 
Reverence — adoration— is essential to the right exercise 
of all the graces. It makes us humble, impresses us 
with a sense of the deep depravity of our nature, and 
with the conviction that salvation must come to us 
from one mightier than ourselves. 

(b) The design, then, may have been to fix more 
deeply on their minds the truth that the covenant into 
which they had entered was not an insignificant or un- 
important one, but that its obligations were weighty, 
its privileges many. This appears evident from the 
preface made to the commandments: "I am the Lord 
that brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out 
of the house of bondage. ,, I have made you a free 
people, but not a lawless people. " Thou shalt have 
no other gods before me." He recognizes in this com- 
mandment His relationship to His people, and this was 
a sacred relation in which other gods might not share. 
He showed them His majesty that they might fear to 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 79 

forsake Him, and might perceive the privilege of hav- 
ing the true God as their God. 

(c) It taught the people the need of the promised 
Messiah as Mediator. 

If they needed a Mediator then, they would also 
need one when called to stand before the awful maj- 
esty in the judgment. They saw that they were not 
able to stand before " this holy Lord God," and it would 
tend to spiritualize their ideas of the promised Messiah. 

(d) It would impress the people with a due idea of 
the majesty of Divine law. It was not like a law de- 
livered by man — whether prophet, priest, or king — but 
coming out from the glory, it was no ordinary statute. 
It came from one who had a right to command, one 
who was able to enforce His law. They could realize 
His presence, although there was no visible represen- 
tation. They saw no similitude nor likeness of any- 
thing, and the impossibility of truly representing the 
Divine Being was taught. It was important that all 
these things should be impressed on the minds of those 
who were to be His witnesses and worshippers. 

This manifestation, then, was a public proclamation 
of God's love to His people. 

It may seem strange that after the display of God's 
glory, which the people had witnessed on Mount Sinai, 
they should so quickly make and worship a golden 
calf, but — 



80 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

(a) It is known that the Egyptians worshipped a 
god of this kind, and it would appear that many of the 
people, and especially of the " mixed multitude," had 
been led into this same form of idolatry while they 
dwelt in that land, and therefore it would not appear 
to them as it does to us. The record shows us the 
need the people had of the manifestations of God's 
glory, and of the strict laws which He imposed, 

(b) They did not design by making this image to 
deny that the true God had delivered them from Egypt, 
but simply intended to worship the true God through 
it. They say of this image, " These be thy gods that 
delivered thee from the land of Egypt," and Aaron 
made proclamation and said, " To-morrow is a feast to 
the Lord." They could not have believed that the 
golden calf itself delivered them, since it was not in 
existence at the time of their deliverance. They ex- 
pected to worship the true God through this image as 
a medium, like Jeroboam afterward, who did not en- 
tirely renounce his allegiance to the true God when he 
set up the calves at Dan and Bethel, but drew the peo- 
ple into worshipping the true God in a false way and 
in a way which He had forbidden. 

So it is said of the people in another place, " They 
feared God and served idols." The idolatry of the 
people was speedily checked by Moses, who put them 
to shame and punished them, and thus through His 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 81 

servant God preserved the nation at this time from 
idolatry. 

We call attention to another thing that was de- 
signed for keeping the people faithful to God, and 
that is — the strictness of the laws by v/hich they were 
governed. These laws were not imposed arbitrarily 
and without reason. The punishment for what appears 
to us as trifling offences seems wholly disproportioned 
to the misdeeds, and such laws under the present dis- 
pensation would be regarded as too severe, and even 
as cruel ; but when we regard the circumstances of the 
people to whom the laws were given, their proneness 
to disobedience and idolatry, their need of being kept 
separate from the world, we see that the penalty was 
none too severe. 

These strict laws were required as safeguards to the 
people. In many instances intimations are given of 
God's watchfulness of His people, lest they should be- 
come like the nations that were round about them ; and 
unless the laws were strict and the penalty severe, they 
were likely to conform their practices to those of the 
heathen, and so to sink into idolatry. Instead, then, of 
its indicating austerity in God, His making such rigid 
laws was a manifestation of His love for His people, 
and of His wisdom and goodness in protecting them in 
their holy religion. 

4* 



82 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

SPECIAL LAWS. 

There are laws recorded which some have regarded 
as too trifling to emanate from the great God, — such 
as that in Lev. xix. 27, " Ye shall not round the cor- 
ners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners 
of thy beard. " But when we bring before our minds 
the fact that in that day heathen priests rounded their 
hair, and cut the corners of their beard, to make their 
worship more acceptable to their gods, we see that this 
was an important law. So seething a kid in its mother's 
milk, and sprinkling the milk on the field, was supposed 
to render the ground more productive. Also these 
priests were accustomed to mix cotton and woolen 
goods, under the superstitious belief that it would 
bring a blessing on their wool and flax. In order to 
prevent the Hebrews from embracing these silly and 
superstitious notions, it was necessary that laws forbid- 
ding these practices should be enacted. Instead, then, 
of these laws which related to apparently insignificant 
matters being trifling, they were both wise and neces- 
sary. Maimonides reasons well concerning the need of 
regulations of this kind. The fact that some of the 
religious ceremonies of the Hebrews were similar to 
those of the Egyptians, has sometimes been referred 
to, and the credit of their good features given to the 
latter. A lesson we learn by inference from the simi- 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 83 

larity is highly suggestive. Let us go back and inquire 
whence the Egyptians obtained them. Did they orig- 
inate them ? For example, circumcision — that it was 
practiced by the Egyptians, and by some other peoples 
as well, before the law on this subject was given by 
Moses, is evident, and that it was not received by the 
Egyptians from the Hebrews while they were in Goshen 
is evident from the fact that those who had been em- 
balmed long before this time, the mummies found in 
ancient tombs, show that this rite was practiced at a 
very early period. Representations engraved in stone 
have also been discovered which confirm this fact. In 
addition to this is the consideration that they would 
not be likely to accept a religious institution from the 
despised shepherds, for when Israel entered Egypt 
shepherds were an abomination to them. 

The most, indeed the only, reasonable conclusion 
then is, that this was a divine institution, as were sacri- 
fices and some other rites, instituted long before, and 
that to the Egyptians these were handed down by 
Noah, who had them before the deluge. And the fact 
appears to be that many of the laws given at Sinai 
were but re-enactments of laws which God had given 
even before the -flood, with such additional ones as 
were necessary to the circumstances of the Church at 
that time and in the future. 

There cannot be the least doubt of the fact that the 



84 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

idolatrous worshippers practiced some of the ceremonies 
in the service of their idols that God had appointed for 
His people to observe in His worship ; as Jeroboam 
afterward, when he set up the golden calves in Dan 
and Bethel, did not wholly abolish the modes of wor- 
ship which were observed by Judah. 

TYPES. 

With respect to the religious ceremonies appointed 
for the Hebrews, they were all necessarily of a typical 
character. It has sometimes been found difficult to 
determine what was typical and what was not so ; but 
when we consider the nature of the dispensation many 
of these difficulties disappear. 

The ceremonies must be significant in order to be 
reasonable. They must not be meaningless, and they 
necessarily must have reference to a Saviour, and as 
this Saviour had not yet come, they must refer to the 
future. Paul calls them " a shadow of things to come, 
but the body is of Christ. " * The faith and hope of 
the people must be fixed in some way on this one ob- 
ject — the Saviour. It was by this faith they should be 
saved. If, then, institutions, sacrifices, offerings repre- 
sent something yet future, they must be typical. If 
they were not types, they were, so far as we are able to 
see, meaningless, since they were in themselves without 

any intrinsic virtue. 

* Col. ii. 17. 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. g 5 

As outward forms they may have exerted a whole- 
some restraint on the people ; " but bodily exercise 
profiteth little," and it would be dishonoring to God to 
say that His institutions were without meaning, or did 
not point to a Saviour, nor portray His work, nor indi- 
cate anything of the plan of salvation. We must then 
conclude that the religious ceremonies of the Old Tes- 
tament Church were typical in their character, and nec- 
essarily so, since salvation was not to be obtained by 
the outward observance of the law. 

The Scriptures clearly teach that the ancient people 
of God, not having received the promise, saw it afar 
off, and that they died in the faith of the Messiah. 
Many proofs of their faith are contained in those Scrip- 
tures which were written before the coming of Christ. 
The ancient Church could not understand fully the 
manner of God's securing salvation for them, or how 
the Son of God would become a sacrifice ; still they be- 
lieved that He would in some way secure salvation, and 
on this they rested their hope. The language of the 
woman of Samaria is, " We know that the Messiah will 
come "; and there were some like Simeon and Anna, 
who waited for the Messiah — " the hope of Israel/' 
So, then, we see that the promise made to Adam, 
and renewed on various occasions, was the common 
faith of the people of God under the former dispensa- 
tion. 



86 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

It is impossible for us to mention the various laws 
which were given to the Church for instruction — " the 
law was a schoolmaster until Christ "; it shut the peo- 
ple up to the faith of the Gospel. Taking Christ out 
of the law of ceremonies, it becomes insipid and un- 
meaning. It had something of Christ in all its forms, 
and as representing His work it was a type, a model, a 
similitude. 

We rightly distinguish the moral law from that which 
was peculiar to a church which was looking for a Saviour 
to come. The latter, the ceremonial, was to be done 
away when Jesus, whom it typified, should come and 
fulfil it. The moral law was to endure forever. It is 
universal, and on it all other laws are founded. It is 
comprehensive of the whole duty of man. 

The first table of the law respects our duty to God. 
The first precept makes known the object of worship ; 
the second, the mode of worship ; the third, the rever- 
ence due ; the fourth, the time which God demands of 
us to be especially employed in religious services. 

The second table has respect to our relative duties. 

(a) As children or subjects. 

{b) As fellow-beings, regarding the preservation of 
life. 

(c) As to the purity of relationship. 

(d) As to the rights of property. 
(/) As to character. 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 87 

(/) The feelings or emotions that constitute charity. 

These laws bind the whole human family, and these 
only were written on stone tablets ; these, and no 
others, were placed in the ark, under the mercy-seat 
and covered from view. 

The question may arise : Why were not the other 
laws which emanated from the same source and were 
written on parchment placed in the ark? We answer: 
The moral law placed in the ark was violated in every 
breach of any other command, for all moral law is sum- 
marily comprehended in the ten commandments. One 
might be a true believer outside of Israel, and not ob- 
serve the ceremonial law ; be wholly ignorant of it, but 
he could not be a follower of God and have faith in 
Christ if he were a violator of the moral law. 

Hence placing the moral law under the mercy-seat 
indicated the pardon of all our sins in Christ. One 
might sin and yet not violate any law merely ceremonial, 
but he could not do so without a violation of the moral 
law. 

Had the ceremonial law been placed in the ark, we 
would have justly reasoned that it was still binding on 
us under the present dispensation, and the doctrines of 
the Judaizing teachers would have been approved, for 
all the law that is covered by the mercy-seat is binding 
on us as a rule of life. The love of God shines out in 
this arrangement. 



SS ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

The ceremonial law was appointed to be observed by 
all Israel, and Jesus in fulfilling it did so as a Jew. The 
exact fulfilment by Christ of all the types, is an un- 
answerable argument in favor of the Christian religion. 
These types were the shadow of God's plan of redemp- 
tion, and many of them were fulfilled in the treatment 
Jesus received; not in what He did, but in what others 
did to Him. 

The type was answered in God's suffering Christ's 
enemies to put Him to death. 

They did nothing but that which His hand and 
counsel had determined before to be done. In this the 
unchangeableness of His love is exhibited. No power 
could thwart His purpose of mercy. We may call this 
His decree, for it matters not, so far as the execution 
of it is concerned, whether the purpose was formed one 
minute or one month before its fulfilment, or in eternity, 
it is sure of accomplishment. The plan of Christ's life 
was laid in eternity, and that plan was made known in 
shadow and symbol thousands of years before He came 
in the flesh. 

CIRCUMCISION. 

Of the ceremonial institutions of the Hebrews, we 
shall only refer to two, Circumcision and the Pass- 
OVER. We select these as among the most important 
of their religious observances, and as those which carry 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 89 

in them the most comprehensive exposition of covenant 
confirmation. 

(a) Circumcision was required of all who were Israel- 
ites and of all that joined their nation. The first 
thing required of those received even as servants was, 
that they should be circumcised ;* and when they at- 
tended to this rite, they became heirs to the blessings 
of the covenant ;f but it was to be observed willingly, 
not of compulsion, showing that faith was as acceptable 
in a Gentile as in a Jew. 

The inquiry we shall pursue, then, is this : Was this 
a merely civil institution, or was it an ecclesiastical 
one? Was it to perish when the Jews should cease to 
exist as a nation, or was it to continue a permanent 
institution — not in form, but in reality? 

(b) If merely civil, a Jewish ordinance, a seal of the 
promise that Canaan should be given to the Jews as a 
possession, then its significance would cease after the 
land was acquired. If it was a seal of the promise that 
the Messiah should come, then it must have been a 
spiritual ordinance and not merely civil. 

It was a seal of the righteousness of Abraham's faith, 
and that faith had respect to Christ. " Abraham saw 
my day/' Christ says. This was the faith that justified 
him, and that was sealed. We find circumcision, there- 
fore, continued in the Church until Jesus came. 

*Gen. xvii. 13. t Ex. xii. 48-50. 



90 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

Paul makes the signification of this ordinance plain 
by calling it a seal. It was not the cause of justifica- 
tion ; the faith by which Abraham was justified was ex- 
ercised before he was circumcised, and was independent 
of it. Circumcision was but a seal confirming the cov- 
enant made with him, and it must have been made be- 
fore it could be sealed. 

It is evident, then, that it was a spiritual ordinance. 
In the New Testament, Baptism comes in its place, for 
it has precisely the same import. Paul says, Col. ii. II, 
" In whom also ye are circumcised with the circum- 
cision made without hands, in putting off the body 
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." 
Baptism is a representation of the purifying virtue of 
Christ's blood ; so, following in the next verse, w r e have 
these words: " Buried with Him in baptism, wherein 
also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the op- 
eration of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." 
Baptism does not save ; but it is a sign, as the ancient 
rite was, of putting off the works of the flesh for the 
righteousness of Christ. It is a seal as important as 
that of circumcision ; so Peter says, " Repent and be 
baptized." 

If, then, circumcision was a Church ordinance, it had 
reference to the spiritual blessings of the covenant. 
Children were entitled to this seal, and their privileges 
were certainly not abridged by Christ. The form of 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 91 

the seal is changed, but the relationship of children to 
the Church is the same. 

Is it asked : " Of what advantage is it to a child who 
does not realize its signification ? " 

(a) All that a true believer has belongs to God, and 
he recognizes God's claim by making a surrender of all. 
Baptism is the sign that parents have dedicated their 
children to God, and it is a privilege to be allowed to 
give them thus to the Lord, since the promise to the 
parent is, that God will bless both himself and his chil- 
dren, and the child given to God inherits this blessing. 

(b) It is a blessing to a child to know that it is already 
in covenant with God, and not a stranger yet to be 
brought into it. It feels the obligations of the cove- 
nant, and also its privileges and blessings. 

It must be instructed, and parents solemnly vow to 
give this instruction when they dedicate their child to 
God. 

It is natural for a child brought up in its father's 
home to feel home attachments. It loves home, and 
will never forget it. If brought up among strangers, it 
does not feel these attachments in the same degree. It 
has never experienced a parent's care and love ; it does 
not know them ; so if a child grows up without 
feeling that it is in this holy and blessed relation to 
God, it cannot feel the same confidence in His love; 
thus circumcision and baptism were not only seals, but 



92 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

means of grace to children in causing them to feel that 
they belong to God's family. In this, again, we see 
God's love and care for His Israel. 

(c) It is useful as teaching children that they need a 
Saviour to renew their hearts. The impression that a 
child is innocent and does not need a Saviour until it 
reaches years of maturity, is condemned by God's teach- 
ing in the Word. A child cannot be taught too early 
that it needs a Saviour, that a Saviour is provided, 
and that it has a visible recognition from God of His 
Fatherly love for it, and circumcision and baptism are 
symbols of purification from sin through the blood of 
Jesus. 

The orderings of God's providence in visiting the 
iniquity of the fathers on the children, and of the bless- 
ing descending on the children of believing parents, is 
beyond our ken. A father may be addicted to intem- 
perance, may be brutal and ignorant, his children suffer 
in consequence; another is a Christian father, kind and 
intelligent, his children are brought up in comfort and 
happiness. Would it be wise and desirable — if it were 
possible — to do away with family relationships and abol- 
ish this law of heredity? We conceive this regulation 
to be one of the provisions which indicate wisdom above 
that which is human. Destroy this law of parental 
guardianship, and you sever one of the strong cords 
which bind families together. Without it a parent 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 



93 



would feel no responsibility for the welfare of his off- 
spring, and with the loss of this feeling would come 
the loss of parental love, parental care and interest. 
This responsibility draws the heart of the parent to 
the child, and the dependence of the child on the par- 
ent draws out its heart to him, and thus cements the 
family ties. But note : while visiting the iniquity cf 
the fathers upon the children, extends to the third or 
fourth generation only, the blessing descends even from 
the first father through all generations to them that 
love God. In the institution of these seals of the 
covenant, then, we see God's love. 

THE PASSOVER. 

The other institution we shall mention is the pass- 
over. This was also a Church institution, and before 
engaging in its observance, the worshipper was required 
to purify himself according to certain prescribed forms. 
Keeping this ordinance was not required of the people 
merely in their relation of citizens, but it w r as a religi- 
ous exercise. All who received it professed faith in a 
Saviour to come. The sacrifice was to be offered, so 
Paul calls Christ u our passover, sacrificed for us/' The 
paschal lamb was to be eaten, representing the blessing 
attending the receiving of Christ : " My flesh is meat 
indeed." 

Two ends were attained in observing this ordinance : 



94 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

(a) It called to their minds the great deliverance from 
Egypt; (b) It brought to mind anticipated blessings. 

To the remarkable deliverance from Egypt, the atten- 
tion of Israel is frequently called, in language like this : 
'* I am the Lord which brought thee forth out of the 
land of Egypt. " It was an act in which the favor and 
the power of God were conspicuous. Such love, such 
grace and strength they might always trust. It is 
called to their remembrance in order to strengthen 
their confidence in the mercy of God. 

It was to be commemorated in a feast, that gratitude 
might be awakened, and that the people might have 
before their minds the greatness of the true God, and 
not forsake Him for another. Perhaps no event before 
the coming of Christ ever did so much to bless our 
world as that deliverance. And the effects of it are 
felt by the Church to-day. It was, indeed, the act 
that preserved the light of God's truth among men, 
and on its own account was worthy to be commem- 
orated ; but 

{a) Its chief use was in pointing out blessings to 
come. What means that blood sprinkled on the door- 
posts and lintels? It was a type, and the sprinkling of 
the blood was sufficient for the representation, but it 
must be the blood of a sacrifice, not even the blood 
from their own veins would answer. The name — pass- 
over — was significant. The sprinkled blood was an evi- 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 95 

dence of their faith and obedience, and all the ceremo- 
nies connected with it pointed to a future Deliverer. 

(&) Households were to gather as bands of worship- 
pers to observe it. It was then especially that the 
fathers were to explain to their children the meaning 
of the ordinance.* 

In it there was virtually a renewing of the covenant, 
and it would recall that which was made with Abraham ; 
so it not only commemorated blessings received, but 
pointed to blessings anticipated. 

Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper upon it to com- 
memorate His death. The last passover was the first 
Lord's Supper. It was a change in form but not in 
significance, except that the former was fitted to keep 
in mind the promise of a Saviour to come, the latter 
to commemorate His work accomplished. 

It is worthy of notice that both of these — the pass- 
over and the Lord's Supper — were instituted as ordi- 
nances before the works which they commemorated 
were fully done. The passover was appointed while 
the Hebrews were still in Egypt. God had purposed 
their redemption and knew that He could carry out 
His purpose. The Lord's Supper was instituted before 
Christ suffered, to commemorate sufferings yet to be 
endured. He knew the intense agony of the sufferings 
He was about to endure, and was straitened till they 

* Ex. xii. 26. 



96 ISRAEL AT SINAI, 

should be accomplished, but He also knew the love 
He bore to man and to God's law, and knew that His 
love was stronger than death, and therefore that they 
would be triumphantly endured. 

The order in which these two Old Testament sacra- 
ments were to be observed was significant. The pass- 
over was not to be kept by a person who w r as uncir- 
cumcised. 

NATIONALITY. 

The supreme wisdom and love of God to men ap- 
peared in His organizing the Hebrew people into a 
commonwealth under civil law. The same people 
whom He chose for His witnesses He formed into a 
civil organization. The object of this, no doubt, v/as: 
that He might throw around them the protection of 
the civil law. Even with all the religious ceremonies 
which were ordained for them, it would have been — 
humanly speaking — beyond the power of the Hebrews 
to continue as God's witnessing people unless protected 
in some way by civil enactments. Under a government 
whose laws and usages were entirely different from 
their own, as were those of Egypt, it is morally certain 
that their religion would have degenerated into hea- 
thenism. Even as it was, they frequently fell away 
from the service of God into idolatry. Hence it was 
necessary that they should have a civil government of 
their own, and their officers must be chosen from 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 



97 



among themselves,* that they *might have rulers who 
were friendly to their religion. Civil government was 
necessary to their very existence. 

But we should remember that Israel's being a nation 
in no way changed her position toward God as His* 
Church. It does not make the promises to the Church 
any less reliable or any more exclusive, nor does it 
cause them to cease to be of force to the Church under 
the new dispensation, that the nation as such was de- 
stroyed. The relation of the Church to God was the 
same then as that w r hich now exists. 

The introduction to the ten commandments, " I am 
the Lord which brought thee out of the land of Egypt," 
may seem applicable to the Hebrews alone, but this is 
not the case. It is just as applicable to the New Tes- 
tament Church as to them. It was as a church that 
they were delivered, and the Church under the new 
dispensation, being a continuation of the ancient 
Church, shares its victories and blessings, just as we 
are participants as citizens of this nation with the 
brave men w 7 ho achieved our national independence. 

{a) The Hebrews became an independent nation. 
They had been bondmen in Egypt, and could not 
leave the country without permission from Pharaoh. 
Now they were no longer under subjection to a foreign 
power. This national independence of itself had a 

* Deut. xvii. 15. 



98 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

tendency to increase their self-respect. The purpose 
of the civil establishment was not alone to secure their 
existence as a nation, under a government of their own, 
but that they might be elevated in the scale of human- 
ity. It is well known that the tyrannical rulers of an- 
cient kingdoms treated their subjects as though they 
were of an inferior order of creatures. The masses 
were oppressed and degraded and treated as beasts of 
burden, and being so treated, the people lost respect 
for themselves and for their fellow-men — lost all idea 
of the dignity of human nature and of the nobler aims 
of life. They lived mainly in and for the present, and 
all hopes and aspirations were deadened. 

Israel's deliverance from Egypt was from just such a 
government, and the greatest blessing of their redemp- 
tion was not that they were brought into a more fertile 
country than Egypt was, but that they were brought 
into such a state of freedom as would imbue them with 
a sense of their individuality and personal dignity. And 
no nation of ancient times possessed a higher concep- 
tion of individual worth or a more just appreciation of 
personal responsibility than the Hebrews. The nature 
of the government was such as to educate them into 
these sentiments. The Theocracy in which no man was 
king was designed to cultivate in them the feeling of 
accountability to God, whom they acknowledged their 
Ruler. 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 99 

(J?) The Hebrew laws were distinguished from those 
of all other nations by their recognition of individual 
rights. 

Freedom was a fundamental principle, so that judges 
were not to deviate from strict justice, even through 
sympathy for the poor : " Thou shalt not respect the 
poor in judgment. " Exact justice was required : "An 
eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. " Dr. Wines, 
in his Commentaries, remarks that " there is not one 
principle in the laws of a free people, if we except the 
habeas corpus, that is not found in the Mosaic institu- 
tions." This is true. We shall not, however, attempt 
to enter into an examination of these laws in detail, but 
shall only refer to the general principles underlying 
them all. 

Individual rights were recognized and maintained ; 
they enjoyed the right to property and protection in 
their inheritance. Even the wicked Ahab, though he 
desired with all the intensity of a covetous heart the 
property of a private citizen, could not deprive the 
possessor of his own, nor obtain it without his consent, 
and it was only secured by the perjury of witnesses. 

This liberty was jealously guarded. Samuel's objec- 
tion to making a king was the fact that the liberty of 
the people would be in danger of being curtailed ; but 
as the people persisted in their demand for this form of 
government, Samuel, in order to preserve their liberties, 



ioo ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

and that the government might not degenerate into a 
despotism, wrote a constitution declaring what should 
be the manner of the kingdom,* so that when they did 
obtain a king, he was limited in his authority, and was 
not permitted to oppress his subjects as other govern- 
ments did. Saul found that the people would not suffer 
him to put Jonathan to death. They had learned that 
they had rights as well as had their rulers. No one can 
rightly estimate his own worth, or his true position 
among God's creatures, until he understands his indi- 
viduality and independence ; until he realizes that he 
has all the rights of a man, and is equal in this respect 
to his fellow-men. 

In what does freedom consist ? We answer, in be- 
ing protected in doing right. The law was not made 
for the righteous, but for the lawless and disobedient. 
Law was ordained to restrain wickedness and punish 
the evil-doer, that the doer of that which is right may 
not be hindered in right-doing. The law lets the righte- 
ous man alone, except so far as to instruct him in duty, 
but punishes the wrong-doer. So law is essential to 
liberty : the very idea of righteous law conveys the idea 
of freedom. 

At the time the law was given the only king acknowl- 
edged in Israel was God himself. The patriarchal in- 
stitutions were not changed when the Hebrews were 

* i Sam. x. 25. 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 101 

nationalized. Moses and Joshua were God's servants 
raised up for a special work, but the office which they 
held was extraordinary, and when Joshua died, after 
settling the tribes in the promised land, he had no suc- 
cessor. So God, who is the source of all authority, was 
the nation's only king. Under His immediate control 
they could more readily learn their individual account- 
ability, and that they were responsible beings. This 
was the advantage of liberty. 

(c) Being nationalized brought their religion more to 
the notice of the world than would otherwise have been 
possible. This was desirable. All those early govern- 
ments were founded on some religion. Each nation 
had its god. From the peculiarity of the national re- 
ligion of the Hebrews, the surrounding nations could 
obtain a knowledge of the true God, and learn the su- 
periority of their religion from their laws and customs. 

(d) By such an organization it became more apparent 
to themselves, when under discipline for their sins, that 
their sufferings were the result of their disloyalty to 
God, and their wretched condition as a people while 
subject to their enemies taught them the weakness of 
the false gods they were then worshipping and the 
cruelty of those who served them ; thus they were 
brought to their senses, and were led to repent and 
turn again to their own God. God's power was dis- 
played before the world by delivering them when they 



102 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

cried to Him. Seeing His kindness to them when they 
sought Him prevented His people from wholly forsak- 
ing their religion for another. 

(e) By being nationalized better provision could be 
made for the poor. The inheritance of the people was 
made inalienable. In the year of Jubilee it returned 
to its original owner. Every one was placed in such 
circumstances as that by prudent management he could 
obtain a comfortable livelihood. 

It would be an agreeable task, did space permit, to 
take up one after another of these laws and show that 
mercy runs through each of them, and is indeed the 
w r eb and woof of all. 

Let us consider the laws relating to the people's as- 
sembling for worship. All the males were directed to 
go up three times a year to worship in an appointed 
place. Two things here are w r orthy of notice, (a) We 
do not read that they went up armed and prepared for 
conflict. Year after year the fact of the multitudes 
assembling at one place must have been known to 
their enemies, yet none took advantage of this occasion 
to attack them, (b) Their homes were left unprotected. 
The women and children could not defend them, but 
they had God's promise that they should not be mo- 
lested and they never were. He had said, Ex. xxxiv. 
24 : " Neither shall any man desire thy land, when 
thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God, 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 103 

thrice in the year." Their country was never invaded 
at these times in the whole course of their history, 
with possibly a single exception. This is particularly 
noticeable, since the nations were not so scrupulous in 
observing the laws of honorable warfare then as they 
are at the present day. So God's love was indicated 
in His providence. 

These annual gatherings of the people were of great 
advantage in several ways, (a) They brought the va- 
rious tribes together and united them in a closer rela- 
tionship, for until the time that a king was chosen each 
tribe was independent of the rest, and could make war 
without consulting other tribes. Each had its own 
government, and yet they were one nation, with God 
as their King, for 450 years after coming out of Egypt. 
This intercourse three times a year promoted unity of 
feeling. 

(b) It strengthened and encouraged them in their re- 
ligion. Their assembling together for worship would 
make them realize that they all had one and the same 
religion, the same God, and the same interests to seek. 
They were giving thanks for the same blessings, and 
thus a feeling of oneness would naturally be begotten. 
Having one holy city, one temple in which to observe 
their religious solemnities according to God's special 
direction, tended to secure this unity of heart and 
feeling. 



104 ISRAEL AT SINAL 

(c) In an age when books were very rare, their meet- 
ing and the interchange of ideas and information would 
be of benefit to all in its enlivening influence on their 
minds, quickening, as it would, their mental faculties 
and leading them to throw off that dullness that is pro- 
duced by seclusion. 

(d) Its tendency was also to prevent their indulgence 
in selfishness of spirit, which exclusiveness would nat- 
urally foster. 

The result is evident in their history. No people 
living in the period of the Hebrew commonwealth was 
more patriotic than they. No nation on earth showed 
such kindness to the needy. No nation was so humane. 
Through the long period of their existence the wonder 
is, not that they ever experienced tribal wars, but that 
they occurred so rarely. 

The law of God both in its positive and negative 
command shows His love and care. What more could 
have been done for preserving His people in that cove- 
nant so richly fraught with heavenly blessings and 
laden with blissful hopes for the future? To be permit- 
ted to enter into covenant with God at all was a dis- 
tinguishing honor conferred on man, but often our per- 
verse will and benumbed sensibilities make us careless 
about observing the agreement we have made. 

It is a blessed thought, that God knows our weak- 
ness and remembers that we are dust, and has thrown, 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 105 

around us the mantle of His protection, and instituted 
such means of grace as to make it difficult for us to ob- 
serve outward ordinances without inwardly remember- 
ing His mercy and His covenant. He desires that we 
be obedient and faithful, so that we may be in a con- 
dition to receive His blessing. When our hearts are 
empty of sin and are willing to entertain Him, Jesus 
loves to come into them and dwell in them. 

The refusal to admit Jesus into his heart is not a mere 
negative act with the unbelieving, but a positive rejec- 
tion of Him. He knocks, He entreats for admission, 
and although one may not send an excuse for refusing 
obedience, yet by indifferently declining to comply, he 
dishonors the riches of His grace, and casts an imputa- 
tion on His wisdom in purchasing redemption ; in effect 
saying that Jesus has performed a useless and unimport- 
ant work. 

Under the Mosaic economy, when the individual 
proved disloyal to God he was cut off from the privi- 
leges of his people, but this was because he dishonored 
his king, and his influence was pernicious. It was 
therefore meet that when he had been granted the 
privilege of God's worship and rejected it, he should be 
deprived of citizenship. 

BASIS OF FREE GOVERNMENT. 
The Mosaic laws exerted an influence on surrounding 
countries. We have an instance of the fact that the 

5* 



106 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

mercifulness of the Hebrew kings was acknowledged, in 
the case of Ben-Hadad's defeat. His servants said unto 
him : " Behold now we have heard that the kings of the 
house of Israel are merciful kings." The freedom en- 
joyed by the Israelites gave tone and character in some 
degree to the laws of surrounding nations. " And from 
these laws the boasted Republics of Greece and Rome 
learned their first lessons of human liberty."* 

That Anaxagoras, whom we may call the father of 
Philosophy, had some acquaintance with the laws of the 
Hebrew nation, it would be most unreasonable to 
doubt. That he had the means of acquiring this knowl- 
edge is certain. The language in which he expresses his 
belief in a Great First Cause bears indubitable evidence 
that he had heard the account of the creation as re- 
corded by Moses. A mind constituted as his was, 
would not be likely to remain ignorant of the faith of 
a people so closely intimate with those with whom he 
lived in his banishment. 

His pupil, Socrates, spent much of his life abroad, 
conversing with all classes of people that he might ex- 
tend his knowledge ; and it would be strange if, with all 
his unwearied efforts to obtain all knowledge possible, 
he should be unacquainted with the laws of a people 
whom the king of his country knew and attempted to 
conquer. This great philosopher even ridiculed many 

* Wines' Commentaries. 



ISRAEL AT SINAI. 107 

of the supposed gods of the Greeks, and was accused 
and condemned as a rejecter of the gods, and an intro- 
ducer of new gods. Many of his moral precepts bore a 
likeness to the laws of the Jews. 

It is acknowledged that Plato, his disciple, received 
much of his knowledge from the Scriptures, and he was 
the faithful teacher of Aristotle, whose teachings have 
been admired in all ages since, so that Tertullian had 
reason for saying, " I am fully persuaded that holy writ 
is the treasury of all following wisdom/' * 

Zoroaster was contemporary with Daniel and learned 
the religion of the Jews and modelled his after it. It 
would be a great mistake to suppose that all the light 
which heathen philosophers received was simply the 
light of nature, and that their doctrines all emanated 
from their own minds. 

We do not wish to detract from the dignity of man's 
intellect, nor to disparage those powers of mind with 
which a beneficent Creator has endowed the human 
family, nor do we wish to place one jewel of honor 
where it does not properly belong ; but reasoning from 
what we know to be true, we cannot resist the conclu- 
sion that to God's revelation, and to God's institutions, 
and to God's people, Philosophy is indebted for all the 
wisdom it contains, Civil Government is indebted for 

* Ter. Apol., c. 47. 



io8 ISRAEL AT SINAI. 

all its freedom, and but for Gods visits of mercy and 
redemption the whole world would be overwhelmed in 
darkness deeper than that into which the most blinded 
nations of the world are plunged at this day. Sin had 
taken such hold on man and had so completely en- 
slaved him that humanity had lost itself in a labyrinth 
of inextricable confusion. All glory be to God for that 
hope and promise that lifted the cloud and saved man- 
kind from a deluge of darkness. 

The early colonists of New England for a time at- 
tempted to govern themselves by the Hebrew laws. 
" This resolution of theirs has caused many a smile at 
their supposed simplicity and rudeness — most unjustly. 
Those clear-headed and strong-hearted Puritans dis- 
tinctly saw, and deeply sympathized with, the spirit of 
freedom that runs through those institutions. It was 
this quality in the laws of Moses, their decided friend- 
liness to civil liberty, which secured the affection and 
imitation of our forefathers." * These Puritans, edu- 
cated in the law of Moses, indicated the manner of 
spirit they were of when they resisted the principle of 
taxation without representation, and gave, as Bancroft 
shows, to this country a government and institutions 
that are the admiration of the world. 

* Com. on Laws of Hebrews. 



VI. 
ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

We must necessarily pass over many instances of the 
Divine favor manifested to His people while the judges 
ruled. 

After forty years' experience of dependence on God 
for their daily bread, with no single instance of a failure 
in the supply — forty years following the guiding cloud 
in the form of a pillar — forty years of instruction in the 
law, their faith had become sufficiently strong to carry 
them forward to victory. It seemed like a long time, 
but it required all these years to discipline them for 
receiving the great blessings that were to be bestowed. 

They had seen the threatened judgment of God 
against the unbelieving fathers, executed. All who 
were over twenty years of age at the time of their first 
coming to the borders of Canaan had died, except faith- 
ful Caleb and Joshua. God's word had been fulfilled, 
and now they were ready to enter in. The various 
tribes were settled on the part apportioned to them. 
To each was allotted a share of the land ; none were 
left unprovided for. 



no ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

But why was the land given by promise ? God 
might have given Canaan to Israel as He gave Amer- 
ica to the Puritans, without a promise. But we see the 
Divine love exhibited in His giving to His chosen na- 
tion in this manner. The people would prize their 
land much more highly from the fact that they were 
enjoying it in fulfilment of covenant promise. They 
could perceive the Divine faithfulness, which would 
strengthen their faith and inspire gratitude. Promised 
blessings are always more fully enjoyed than those we 
receive without seeing in them the fulfilment of a 
promise. 

But the inhabitants of the land must be expelled in 
order that the Hebrews may occupy it. The justice of 
the Hebrews' cause has been questioned. It should be 
enough for us to know that they were acting under 
God's command. If one views this command in the 
light of a broad and world-embracing charity instead 
of through the confined and narrow medium of a false 
sympathy and sentimentalism, he cannot fail to see 
love prominent in the command to exterminate the 
Canaanites. God would not expel them until the cup 
of their iniquity was full. They were cast out because 
of their unexampled vileness and impurity. They were 
steeped in more than brutal sensuality, the foulest in 
cest was practiced, and thousands of children were sac- 
rificed to Moloch. They were guilty of sins of all kinds 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. in 

and the cruellest rites were observed in their idolatrous 
worship. It was, therefore, kindness to replace such a 
people with a nation whose character and conduct were 
humane, and whose children would enjoy the blessings 
of a pure faith, and would prove a blessing instead of a 
curse to mankind. 

Instead of destroying these grossly wicked inhabit- 
ants with the plague, or in some such way as He did 
the Sodomites — with which judgments no one can find 
fault, — God commissioned Israel, His own people, to de- 
stroy them, and this presumably for two reasons. 

(a) The land was promised to Israel, but it was nec- 
essary that the people should have faith, and be able 
to see that it was given by God in accordance with His 
promise ; that it w r as not received as a mere accidental 
circumstance, and that His declaration was not simply 
a prophecy. They must see that it was God's gift, 
and therefore He must be with them to give it, or they 
could not enter into it ; so they must have faith in order 
that they may accomplish their task. 

{b) By being commissioned to execute the Divine 
judgments, they would be more deeply impressed with 
the hatefulness of the sins which the Canaanites were 
guilty of practicing, so it was a warning to them against 
imitating them. It was on the same principle that the 
witnesses must be executioners of the sentence pro- 
nounced on the idolater. The Jews were often re- 



ii2 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

minded that the heathen were cast out because of their 
sins, and that Israel would be cast out also if they im- 
itated them, as, indeed, they were at a later period of 
their history. For a time they were held captive in 
Babylon, and afterward, for rejecting Christ, were en- 
tirely cast off as a nation. So we see in this destruction 
of the Canaanitish nations a manifestation of God's 
love to Israel, and of His love extended through Israel 
to the v/orld. He accomplished this work by instru- 
mentalities. He raised up and qualified men to exe- 
cute His purpose. He did not always work miracles 
for the deliverance of His people ; to have done so 
would have had a tendency to make them overlook 
His hand in His ordinary providences, and to recognize 
it only when miracles were wrought ; yet He some- 
times wrought miraculously that He might show that 
He controlled all things according to His pleasure. 
His providence as well as His word was an instructor 
of the people. As Paul says: " He hath not left Him- 
self without a witness in that He did good," etc. 

The whole account of the victory over those who 
opposed them on the east of the Jordan, and of the 
passage over that memorable river, the encampment 
and the fall of Jericho, indicate that the Israelites of 
that period had obtained a degree of faith that their 
fathers lacked, and were a better and more faithful 
generation than the preceding. 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN, 113 

We see the great gain to those exercising faith. 
Many a wilderness is transformed into a garden of the 
Lord through the exercise of faith. 

ACHAN'S SIN. 
The army was defeated at Ai because of the sin of 
one man. Achan had, contrary to the Divine com- 
mand, appropriated a wedge of gold, and a goodly 
Babylonish garment. A few thoughts on this may not 
be out of place, since momentous principles are involved 
in the punishment of this sin. 

(a) The people were about to be established as God's 
people in the land of promise. It was a most import- 
ant matter, therefore, that they should be thoroughly 
indoctrinated at the beginning in the truth that their 
preservation depended on their obedience to God's 
law, and their faithfulness to His covenant. Here was 
a clear breach of an express command, and the strength 
of the temptation was no excuse for it. It must be 
summarily punished at the very first, that the people 
might be restrained from becoming disloyal to God. 
This was evidently done out of love to Israel. 

(b) But why should the people suffer for one man's 
sin? Why should a community suffer for individual 
conduct, or the people of God for the sins of the wicked ? 
We answer : Because of the unity of a nation ; the na- 
tion is one body. They were thus instructed that it is 



ii4 ISRAEL IN 'CANAAN. 

the duty of every one standing in the relation of citizen 
to seek the purity of the whole community. We can- 
not free ourselves from our duty as citizens. And it is 
the duty, therefore, of Christians to exercise their priv- 
ilege as citizens in the use of the ballot, to seek the 
enactment of good laws by placing good men in author- 
ity. A nation is a community, and patriotism requires 
us to seek the nation's good. 

(c) A people are educated into this public spirit by 
the providence that punishes the innocent with the 
guilty when they are members of the same body politic. 
The Church, too, is one body, of which Christ is the 
head, and when one member suffers, all the members 
suffer with it. This union in suffering, and in enjoying, 
tends to subdue the spirit of selfishness, and to foster a 
spirit of sympathy for others. 

EDUCATION. 

(a) God provided for the education of the people. 
The priests were to instruct them out of the law, and 
in addition to this, schools of the prophets were estab- 
lished to raise up teachers for the people. Thus the 
law was constantly kept before them, and the import- 
ance of a righteous life was impressed on their minds. 
Not many of these prophets became so eminent as to 
be mentioned by name in the Scriptures, but they 
were so instructed as to be able to teach others, and 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN, 115 

many were inspired to instruct the people, of whom 
we have no account. That this is true appears from 
the sign that He Himself gives for distinguishing the 
true prophets from the false, viz. : by the fulfilment 
of any prediction they might utter. They must have 
possessed the spirit of inspiration, or such tests could 
not have been made. 

That they were numerous appears from the number 
Elisha fed at one time, and from the number Doeg the 
Edomite slew. Mention is made of one hundred at 
Jericho, and one hundred others at Gilgal at the same 
time. God thus made provision that His people might 
have the law in its spiritual character kept before 
them. 

The priests officiated at their ceremonies, and we 
cannot doubt instructed the people in the spirituality 
of the Lord's service, but the prophets were helpers in 
this latter office. They clearly taught that ceremonies 
are nothing without the heart. The Lord said by 
Isaiah, when the people were living in sin: "Your 
burnt-offerings I cannot away with, they are an abomi- 
nation to me." 

The prophet was superior in rank as a teacher to the 
priest, so that when Jesus, as a prophet, drove the 
priests from the temple, He was not resisted. 

These prophets warned the people of their danger in 
forsaking God, and instructed them in their duties 



n6 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

toward Him. Some of them were of priestly rank, and 
they were raised up from all the tribes of Israel. 

It may be asked, Why did not God give more light, 
and reveal the coming Messiah more clearly? to which 
it is sufficient to say, (a) We have no means of learning 
how much light the people had. That inspired proph- 
ets gave oral instruction, we have the clearest evidence. 
That these prophets had an opportunity of teaching 
the people in the synagogues and temple is certain, and 
that the people believed that the Messiah would come 
is absolutely beyond contradiction. 

(b) It was more in harmony with the constitution of 
the human mind to believe a revelation made exactly as 
God made His revelation of truth, than if made in any 
other way. The Church was not small for want of light. 
Even now that the bright light of the Gospel shines on 
the world, and has shone for so long, the Church is 
comparatively a " little flock." 

Had mankind been willing to retain the knowledge 
of God in their minds, there would have been no neces- 
sity for such an organization as that of the Jewish na- 
tion ; but such was not the case. The people " loved 
darkness rather than light," so all these burdensome 
institutions of the Old Testament were necessary to 
their best interests. It was not the burden laid on the 
Israelites that at any time led them to forsake the true 
God. It is not the burden laid on the Church to-day that 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 117 

prevents persons from uniting with it, but the character 
of the service required — a holy service. When Peter the 
Hermit promised salvation to every one that would 
take up arms to rescue the Holy Sepulchre out of the 
hand of infidels, thousands who never attended to religi- 
ous duties rushed to his standard. Those who had been 
guilty of most atrocious crimes joined the crusading 
hosts, expecting to merit salvation by their acts. But 
when it is proclaimed that salvation is purchased by 
the blood of Christ, and is brought in offer to every one 
who hears the Gospel, — that it is free, that it is salva- 
tion from sin, — the world is slow to receive it. It was 
not the want of sufficient light under the former dis- 
pensation that prevented the heathen nations from leav- 
ing their idolatrous practices, but because they preferred 
to have gods who were possessed of such characters as 
suited their inclinations rather than the true God who 
requires holiness in His followers. 

PLACE OF WORSHIP. 

The goodness of God is seen in the course of His 
providence toward them after they had chosen a king. 
There are many centres of interest, but the one which 
of all others attracts attention is the temple — a build- 
ing of God's own planning. 

The place chosen for it — Jerusalem — " beautiful for 



n8 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

situation." A traveller, who lately viewed that ancient 
city from a lofty eminence, says of it : " It is a most 
beautiful site for a city. The surrounding mountains 
remind one of a royal crown, and the city itself of a rich 
jewel in its centre." 

The temple was founded on a rock. It was elevated 
and conspicuous ; it could be seen from afar. It w r as 
grand in its structure, and rich in its adornments above 
any edifice ever reared on earth — a glory to the nation. 
It was stately and tasteful. The architecture was not 
left to human device. Nothing of man's devising could 
compare with it. It was the wonder of the world. All 
its arrangements and appointments were so perfect 
that the Queen of Sheba was struck with amazement 
in beholding them, as is signified by the words, " and 
there was no more spirit in her." 

In this temple the people had a just pride ; they 
venerated it because it was God's house. The glory of 
the Lord had filled His temple. It was the resting- 
place of the ark of the covenant. Thus God in His 
love made His people a praise in the earth. The 
grandeur of the temple published the religion of the 
Hebrews to surrounding nations. 

DEVELOPMENT OF DIVINE INSTITUTIONS. 
As the circumstances of the Church change, and the 
people are compassed with different environments, new 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN, 119 

dangers arise, and new means for protection become 
requisite. No unnecessary ordinances and institutions 
were imposed upon God's people. When those which 
were needful at one time became useless they were ab- 
rogated and new ones adapted to the wants of the 
Church supplied, — for example : 

When Israel was in the wilderness the people were 
forbidden to kill an ox or lamb or goat, except at the 
door of the tabernacle.* This law seemed to impose 
a burden, but the necessity of the law arose from the 
danger of their complying with the heathen custom of 
killing these animals as offerings to idols, as explained 
in Lev. xvii. 7. So this was an important regulation to 
prevent the people from practicing idolatry. But the 
Lord directed Moses to declare that this law should be 
abrogated as s©on as they entered the land of promise,f 
their changed circumstances rendering the restriction 
no longer necessary. 

On the other hand, while they were in the wilder- 
ness they did not need Cities of Refuge ; these would 
be useful in the land of Canaan, and therefore while 
the Lord gave Moses directions regarding their ap- 
pointment before they entered the land, they were not 
set apart for this purpose until after they gained pos- 
session of it. 

* Lev. xvii. 1-9. t Deut. xii. 15. 



120 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

Again, in the days of Samuel, on account of the cor- 
ruption of the priesthood, it became necessary to make 
an addition to the former institutions to meet the re- 
quirements of the Church, and so an order of prophets 
was established. The word of the Lord was precious 
in those days ; there was no open vision/" so Samuel 
instituted the School of the Prophets. This was an 
important addition, as a restraint was thus laid upon 
the priests, and this tended to preserve the ordinances 
pure and entire. 

Near the close of David's reign another important 
change was effected. Some of the laws of Moses re- 
specting the tabernacle were annulled, because a temple 
was to be built, and the tabernacle service would not 
be necessary. Besides this, the service of praise was 
perfected. f This service was exceedingly helpful as 
inspiring the people with hope and trust in the coming 
Messiah. To the joyful songs then given to the peo- 
ple others were afterward added by the inspiration of 
the Spirit. This service has ever since been continued 
in the Church. 

Not only were additions made to the Divine institu- 
tions, but such obstacles as would cause the people to 
err were taken out of the way. Thus when Israel began 
to superstitiously worship the brazen serpent, which 

* I Sam. iii. I. 1 1 Chron. xxiii. 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 121 

had been preserved as a memento of the miraculous 
cures effected by means of it upon those bitten by ser- 
pents in the wilderness, Hezekiah caused it to be utterly 
destroyed. When the Jews trusted in the temple 
and felt secure even in their sin, because of that 
sacred building, saying : The temple of the Lord, 
the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are 
these — God destroyed the temple, and scattered the 
people. 

These things show that these ceremonial regulations 
were appointed simply to meet the changing wants of 
the Church, and it does not argue that there was any 
imperfection in them. 

Paul, in his letter to the Galatians,* asks the ques- 
tion, " Wherefore serveth the law?" and answers, "It 
was added because of transgression "; that is, that the 
people might not fail through transgression and sin to 
receive the promise, the law was given to prevent them 
from forsaking God. He implies that these laws would 
not have been required if the people had not been in 
danger of transgressing. 

Every addition made, every impediment removed, 
brought the Church nearer to a suitable condition for 
submitting to an entire change of dispensation, when 
these carnal ordinances would give way to the simpler 

* Gal. iii. 19. 



122 ISRAEL IN CANAAN, 

institutions of the New Testament. All these things 
show God's care of, and kindness to His people. 

THE DISPERSION.; 

Because of the sins of the people God suffered their 
temple to be destroyed, and permitted their enemies to 
carry them into captivity, and they were scattered 
among the nations. This dispersion of the Jews, how- 
ever, instead of being an unmixed calamity, proved a 
blessing. 

{a) To themselves, by subduing that insatiate desire 
to serve idols, that had characterized them for years. 
It was an effectual discipline, so that when Jesus came 
they were not idolaters, and thus they were better pre- 
pared to receive the Holy Spirit when it was bestowed 
upon many of them. 

(b) The people among whom they dwelt became 
familiar with their religion, and the long captivity and 
the position some of the Jews held in the government, 
occasioned them to become more or less imbued with 
the same faith, and their eyes also were turned toward 
a coming Messiah. 

(c) Again, this dispersion of the Jews was of advan- 
tage, in that they could carry the Gospel, after Christ's 
coming, to the Gentiles, among whom they lived, as 
they did after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, 
Many came at the day of Pentecost to Jerusalem from 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 123 

Elam and Parthia and Media, and from every nation 
under heaven. They attended the disciples* meeting, 
were converted, and carried the Gospel back with them 
to the people of these countries. Into their syna- 
gogues the apostles were received when they went out 
on their missionary work, and they could much more 
readily gather the people into assemblies to hear the 
Word preached on account of the way having been thi s 
prepared for them, 

PERIOD PRECEDING THE ADVENT. 

(a) While we have no history of the Jews in the 
Scriptures during the period of four hundred years pre- 
ceding the coming of Christ, yet there is more prophecy 
concerning this period than of any other. 

(S) About this time authentic profane history began 
to be written. Before this there were legends and 
fables, but no reliable history. Greek and Roman men 
of letters called the times preceding this the Fabulous 
age. The prophecies therefore answered two purposes. 

(a) The people could see in their fulfilment that the 
writings of the prophets were of God, and believing 
that God had revealed these things to the prophets, 
they would be ready to receive the other teachings of 
the same prophets as from the same Divine source. 
Christ afterward says, concerning His foretelling events, 
that He did so, " That when it is come to pass ye might 



124 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

believe." Being convinced that God spoke to them 
through His prophets, they would be more likely to 
treasure up these revelations in their hearts. 

(b) This faith in the prophets would put the people 
into a state of expectancy. This was a most important 
preparation, so that when the Christ should come they 
might know that it was the fulfilment of the prophecies, 
and be ready to believe the Gospel to be not a mere 
superstition, but a truth which had been revealed before 
Jesus came. The sermons given in the New Testament 
insist upon this idea. 

These prophecies were so specific, that the Jews were 
looking for, and praying for, the coming of Elijah. They 
expected him to come as the forerunner of the Messiah. 
•They understood the prophecy as meaning that the 
prophet Elijah would descend from heaven to perform 
this office. A revelation given in the way of prophecy 
was a more convincing witness for Jesus than an imme- 
diate revelation from heaven would have been. Peter 
heard a voice out of heaven say : " This is my beloved 
Son." Yet he says: "Ye have a more sure word of 
prophecy." If the people did not receive Christ, it was 
not because God had failed to deal with them in the 
wisest and most merciful manner, and in a way tending 
to lead them into faith in His Son. 

During this period of four hundred years the Jews 
were preserved in a remarkable manner from threat- 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 125 

ened danger. A noted instance of such preservation 
occurred during the reign of Alexander the Great, who 
was enraged at them for lending aid to the people of 
Tyre, and led forth his victorious army with the de- 
clared purpose of punishing them, but was restrained 
by a dream that so powerfully influenced him, that in- 
stead of punishing them, he granted them many favors 
as a nation. " The king's heart is in the hand of the 
Lord as the watercourses : He turneth it whithersoever 
He will." 

Again, when Antiochus Epiphanes had resolved to 
utterly annihilate the Jewish people, he was cut off 
suddenly by the hand of death. 

The Maccabees were successful, and by their faith in 
God did valiant exploits, as Daniel had foretold they 
would.* 

The temple which had been destroyed was rebuilt 
by Herod in order to secure the favor of the Jews. 
Although Herod's purpose was an entirely selfish one, 
he was the instrument which God employed in carry- 
ing out His purpose of love to His people. 

These events were of such a nature as indicated that 
Jesus would come as a universal Saviour ; that all na- 
tions of the earth were interested in His coming; not 
the Jews only, but the world. The line of prophecy 

* Daniel xi. 32-45. 



126 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

was not merely to the borders of Judea, but to Greece 
and Persia and Rome, and while the Jews were in some 
measure connected with these people, yet the prophecy 
reaches out too far to warrant the theory that the com-, 
ing of Christ would affect the Jews only. Daniel says, 
" The stone cut out of the mountain filled the whole 
earth/' not merely Judea. 

Some of the prophets uttered their predictions while 
in foreign lands, and the instructions given by them 
pervaded the nations, till all the world seems to have 
known something concerning the faith of the Jews.* 

We cannot assert that there were no prophets in 
Israel during the four hundred years after the recorded 
prophecies of the Old Testament ceased. We are not 
told that there were none, there may have been many. 

The people were instructed by scribes, as well as by 
their priests ; but it would appear that though idolatry 
ceased, ritualism had increased, and the Jews trusted 
for salvation in the outward observance of the law, in 
rites and ceremonies. Their views of the Messiah had 
become worldly ; the prevailing belief among them was 
that His kingdom would be confined to Israel ; that 
He would exalt the Jews and make them independent 
of all other nations, and restore the land of their fa- 
thers to more than its ancient fertility. 

* Tacitus, Lib. Quin. xiii. 



ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 127 

The Romans had almost universal dominion over the 
nations, so that Luke says : " There went out a decree 
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be 
taxed." On account of this fact — that so many do- 
minions and provinces were subject to one govern- 
ment — there was much more communication between 
different parts of the world than there could have been 
under several rival governments, and this arrangement 
was highly conducive, first, to the spread of the knowl- 
edge of the prophecies of the coming of Christ, and, 
second, to the spread of the Gospel after His coming. 

The Prince of Peace came when all the world was at 
peace, and the attention of the people was not diverted, 
as would have been the case amid the excitement of 
war ; at a time when they had opportunity of giving 
their attention to the truth He proclaimed. The world 
was in a more favorable condition for hearing the truth, 
and receiving instruction, probably, than it had ever 
been in before. 

When we speak of God's preparing the world for the 
coming of the Messiah, we mean His ordering all things 
so that His glory would be advanced by the world's 
being prepared for His reception, and for the publica- 
tion of the truth. We find, then, the world pre- 
pared — 

(a) By being under one government. 

(b) By being at peace. 



128 ISRAEL IN CANAAN. 

(c) By the general expectation of a Saviour. 

(d) By seeing the failure of the wisdom of the wise 
to solve the question as to how man's chief happiness 
can be secured. 

(e) And by the different nations becoming familiar 
with the doctrines of the Jews concerning the truth 
that there is but one God. 



VII. 

ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

The fullness of time — that is, the time God had de- 
termined upon — had come, and all that could draw the 
attention and faith of mankind to the Messiah had been 
done, and now that He was to appear — not among the 
rich and great, but among the poor and lowly — hum- 
bled by the sins which He bore for man, it seemed 
necessary, in order to disarm prejudice, that His birth 
should be proclaimed. So when Jesus was born angels 
made the announcement to the shepherds of Bethlehem, 
and the wise men of the East were guided to His birth- 
place by a star. Thus was testimony from Heaven 
given to Him at His birth. These things were not kept 
secret. Herod knew of them ; the people in Jerusalem 
knew, and the lapse of years would not cause these 
occurrences to be forgotten. They were to prepare the 
world for receiving one born in a humble condition, and 
to revive the faith of those who had been looking for 
His appearing. 

The silence of the Scriptures concerning Christ's 
6* 



130 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

early years is significant. In the biographies of emi- 
nent men everything relating to them that would in 
any way be interesting, is usually recorded ; but noth- 
ing is said of the early life of Jesus, with the exception 
of a single incident that occurred when He was twelve 
years of age, and even this is doubtless related because 
it was a public act ; for though His private life as well 
as His public acts and utterances pertained to the great 
redemption which He came to secure, yet it was spent 
chiefly in enduring rather than in action. 

Until He reached the age of thirty years He lived 
in the obscure village of Nazareth, {a) He thus hum- 
bled Himself for us, for whatever may be said of the 
people's attending at the synagogue worship, the place 
had not a good reputation. Nathaniel's question, " Can 
any good thing come out of Nazareth ?" shows his 
estimate of the place. So we see that He humbled 
Himself in choosing to live in a place that had a reputa- 
tion for sinfulness. 

(b) Christ's choosing such a place is remarkable from 
the fact that since He was holy, and from His youth ab- 
horred sin, His life would be one of constant sorrow in 
beholding the wickedness of those around Him in that 
evil place. It is said of Lot, that " he vexed his righte- 
ous soul from day to day by their " (the Sodomites) 
" ungodly deeds "; how much more would the soul of the 
perfect One be rent and wounded by the unhallowed 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 131 

conversation and wickedness of the Nazarenes. It was 
to Him a poignant grief, different from, but equivalent 
to, the anguish of the impenitent to live amid such sur- 
roundings. Not for Himself, but for His people did He 
suffer thus the sorrows of sin in choosing such an abode. 
(c) By living in Nazareth He suffered the disgrace of 
man's sin. " He shall be called a Nazarene," conveys 
the idea of reproach. 

THE FORERUNNER. 

The advent of Jesus was to be ushered in by a fore- 
runner. There were remarkable circumstances attend- 
ing the birth of this forerunner — John the Baptist — 
such as the Jews recognized as signs from heaven. His 
was a miraculous conception. Zacharias, his father, 
was stricken dumb, and they say at the birth of John, 
" What manner of child shall this be ? " 

When the time arrived for Jesus to enter on His 
public work, it was important that He should have the 
public testimony of John, one whom the people be- 
lieved was commissioned of God. All men regarded 
John the Baptist as a prophet. When Jesus asked the 
chief priests the question, " The testimony of John, was 
it from Heaven or of men ? " they were afraid to say, " of 
men," because all the people took John for a prophet, 
so they held their peace. We see from this the influ- 
ence that John's testimony would have. He bore most 



132 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

marked testimony in his manner of coming. He came 
not as a high official in pomp and display, and with a 
great retinue ; not in gorgeous robes decked with jewels, 
as the heralds of Oriental monarchs were wont to ap- 
pear, but as the prophets of old, in plain, coarse, inex- 
pensive clothing ; his mode of life correspondingly sim- 
ple, living on the plainest food, thus indicating that the 
Messiah's kingdom was not earthly but spiritual, some- 
thing entirely different from that which earthly rulers 
govern. It pertained to human character, to the princi- 
ples and motives that govern conduct. It was radical, 
affecting the root of all action. Luxury and display 
might attract the multitude, but John despised these. 

John preached Repentance — a radical doctrine, and 
one which we imagine sounded strange to the haughty, 
self-righteous Pharisee and Scribe. But the axe was 
laid at the root of the tree : the reformation reached 
the heart. Jesus was to follow him ; where John had 
plucked up the errors, Jesus planted the truth. The 
great mass of mankind had embraced such heathen no- 
tions — as that religion consisted in outward service, as 
to-day the Mohammedati asks Christians how their re- 
ligion is better than the Mohammedans'. They com- 
pare simply the outward forms, and those forms in- 
vented by man may be more agreeable to corrupt 
human nature than those appointed by Him who 
knows the human heart. The inner secret of Christ's 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR, 133 

religion is known only to those who fear Him. John 
reproved the formalist and the Pharisee sharply. 

Again — in the language he used he bore testimony 
to Jesus as the Saviour. This he could do only as a 
prophet of God. He ^ays, " Behold ! the Lamb of 
God "; the lamb was for sacrifice, and although Jesus 
had not as yet been put to death, John calls Him the 
lamb of God. 

He sets forth Christ's divinity by saying that He 
would baptize with the Holy Ghost, which none but 
God could do ; and we cannot believe that John, who 
stood before and reproved great men — even Herod the 
king— would have said he was unworthy to unloose the 
latchet of the shoes of a mere man — that is, that he 
was unfit to perform the most menial service, at the 
same time knowing himself to be a prophet of God. 

But faith in Jesus could not rest on human testi- 
mony — it must rest on the Divine. So Jesus says : " I 
receive not testimony of men ; the works which the 
Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I 
do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me, 
and the Father Himself which hath sent me hath borne 
witness of me." This testimony was borne when 
the Holy Ghost descended upon Him like a dove, 
and there came a voice from heaven, saying, " Thou 
art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased "; 
and again, when the Spirit descended upon the 



134 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

disciples in the form of cloven tongues like as of 
fire. 

PUBLIC LIFE OF JESUS. 

The public life of Jesus presents itself to us under 
various heads, such as — His manner, His doctrine, His 
works. 

{a) With regard to the first: His manner was that of 
one conscious of the importance of his mission. He 
spoke with authority. He interpreted the Scriptures 
and declared His will as of equal authority with them. 
He reproved the people as none but God can do. He 
prophesied : foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and 
of the temple, predicted even His own death, and ut- 
tered these predictions with the authority of one who 
had a certain knowledge of that whereof He spoke. 
His doctrines and manner of communicating the truth 
persuaded many that He was indeed the Messiah. 
" Never man spake like this man." 

In all His teaching He had no one to consult with. 
He had among those whom He chose for His Apostles 
no one from whom He could obtain counsel. Paul, 
w T ho was a man of learning, was not appointed until 
after the Ascension. Had such a one as Paul been 
with Him while here, the people might have said, 
" This or that seems such counsel as Paul would give"; 
but His disciples were unlearned and ignorant men. 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 135 

He directed them authoritatively as being their head 
and counsellor, and never received advice from them, but, 
on the contrary, frequently reproved them as a master. 

{b) He admitted them into constant association with 
Him in His daily life. He sometimes retired from 
them that He might pray, but did not conceal from 
them the fact that He prayed. His disciples knew 
that His soul was on fire for the regeneration of the 
world ; they saw that the zeal of God's house was con- 
suming Him, and they forbade little children from com- 
ing to Him lest they should weary Him, but Jesus said, 
" Suffer the little children to come, and forbid them 
not." To a man crying after Jesus they said, " Trouble 
not the Master "; but He commanded the man to be 
brought to Him. He endeared Himself to His disci- 
ples although He reproved them. 

(c) All His teachings were given in tenderness to the 
sincere and honest, but He was severe where there was 
hypocrisy and deceit. His instructions were tempered 
to the condition of the people. He says, " I have 
many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them 
now." He came to set up a kingdom, which He calls 
the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Heaven. 

THE KINGDOM. 

Our inquiry now is concerning this kingdom, and 
how it differed from His kingdom under the former 



136 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

dispensation ; why it is called the kingdom of heaven, 
and who are citizens of it. 

The right to citizenship in this kingdom comes by- 
covenant or agreement, as it did under the Old Testa- 
ment dispensation. No one was taken as a citizen 
without his own consent. Jesus did not come to con- 
quer mankind by force and compel them to become 
His followers and unite themselves to Him. It is not 
true religion for one simply to unite himself to God's 
people, to connect himself with the Church. Civil 
government cannot compel one to become a Christian ; 
the fact of being religious implies voluntary action on 
the part of him who becomes a follower of Christ,— so, 
becoming a Christian, is, in all its essential qualities, a 
covenant between God and man. What are the re- 
sults ? God becomes his portion, gives him righteous- 
ness and faith, the light and strength and peace which 
He has promised ; gives all the blessings of the cove- 
nant of grace made with Christ, and the believer ac- 
cepts Christ's righteousness and surrenders himself soul, 
spirit, body, and possessions to God. 

In civil kingdoms the citizen's possessions belong to 
the government. It can tax him, and, if necessary for 
its defence, take all his property. It can even require 
him to go forth to war, and give his life in its service. 
The government claims the right to his money and 
takes it to bear its expenses. If one acts treasonably. 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 137 

the government deprives him of life. Paul recognizes 
this right when he says, " If I have done anything 
worthy of death, I refuse not to die." 

But while the citizen thus belongs to the govern- 
ment, he claims from it protection to his person and 
his property, and should a foreign power take his prop- 
erty, or threaten his life without just cause, the whole 
strength of the nation, all its money and men, will, if 
necessary, be used for his defence. There is no civil 
authority independent of this mutual covenant relation ; 
so in the kingdom of Christ, Christ is ours and we are 

His. 

SPIRITUALITY OF THE KINGDOM. 

The kingdom is a spiritual one. It has its out- 
ward forms, but it is a spiritual relation we sustain to 
Jesus. In this respect it is invisible. Jesus truly and 
really reigns in the hearts of His people, and they obey 
Him in their thought and affections. Their minds are 
subject to, their wills are controlled by, the Divine 
will. They exercise faith in Him, and His blessings 
come to them, but not with observation. The Spirit 
of Christ dwells in them ; and they have joy and peace 
in believing. " The secret of the Lord is with them 
that fear Him." All this belongs to the unseen. 

VISIBLE KINGDOM. 
Those who belong to this invisible kingdom will 
naturally desire to declare themselves the friends of 



138 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

God. They love to be where their friends are, and to 
join with them in worshipping Him whom they love 
with a divine affection. They want to have their influ- 
ence for the truth felt by others. So God gives this 
privilege by permitting them to unite with the visible 
kingdom — His Church. 

It is unquestionably a blessing to have a way open 
by which a true believer can bear testimony for Jesus, 
and show to the world that he is not ashamed of the 
Gospel of Christ. It is a privilege to be associated with 
other believers with whom he may sympathize, and 
from whom he may receive sympathy in his faith, and 
with whom he may hold sweet communion. " The 
yoke is easy, the burden is light/' Jesus says, " Learn 
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart," — i. e. y I do 
not impose a burden as a tyrannical master, but as 
one whose aim is to seek the best interests of all that 
will come to me. 

This kingdom has its outward ceremonies as under 
the former dispensation, but no longer in types. Since 
Jesus came the ordinances are changed to suit the cir- 
cumstances of the Church. The forms represent the 
state of the soul before God. We bend the knee in 
humility ; we stand in reverence and adoration ; every 
act has its influence on the mind. So that while these 
forms are expressions of our feelings, they have a re- 
flex influence and tend to awaken and to intensify 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR, 139 

those feelings of which they are the outward expres- 
sion. 

When we feel our need it is natural for us to pray ; 
when full of joy it is natural to sing; when sorrowful, 
to fast ; so when we pray on bended knee it tends to 
make us feel our need and our dependence, and leads 
us to trust in God ; and when we sing praises it lifts up 
the soul to the contemplation of the greatness of God ; 
and, therefore, in the Scriptures, all men are called on 
to engage in these exercises. Without faith it is im- 
possible to please God ; but since prayer tends to beget 
faith it is the duty of all persons, even if they do not 
know themselves to be the children of God, to use the 
outward means. 

That all may obtain exalted thoughts of God they 
are to sing His praises, and thereby be instructed in 
reference to His greatness, goodness, and grace. 

Prayer has reference to ourselves — to our helpless- 
ness, sinfulness, needs, therefore we use our own words. 
Praise has reference to God, to His perfections and 
glory, therefore He gave the Church a book of praises 
to set forth His character before the people. 

But while these means of grace have a natural influ- 
ence on the mind, it would be false and worse than 
false to say that the services are merely profitable be- 
cause of the natural law of cause and effect. God exer- 
cises His power in bestowing His Spirit in answer to 



140 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

prayer on those who serve Him in the means of 
grace. 

The laws for the government of the Church were to 
be entirely spiritual. No corporeal punishment was to 
be inflicted on offenders. To the office-bearers were 
committed the keys of this kingdom, while of the officer 
of civil government it is said that He bears not the 
sword in vain. They were to act for Christ as His 
agents, and M what they bound on earth would be bound 
in heaven, and whatsoever they would loose on earth 
would be loosed in heaven. " That is, what they should 
do in their official capacity as His servants, would be 
ratified and approved. He would recognize them as 
His agents doing His will. 

Then, if after entering the kingdom any one commits 
that which is contrary to its honor or its laws, he is re- 
proved, and if he does not repent, he is cut off, or sim- 
ply declared unworthy of citizenship, nothing more. 
It is designed for those, and those only, who love the 
Lord Jesus, and are heirs of glory ; and in this it is like 
heaven itself, into which nothing that defileth shall 

enter. 

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 

But the new economy is called the kingdom of 
heaven, the kingdom or reign of God, and yet it is the 
same kingdom that existed under the old law. Paul 
speaks of the Gentiles being grafted in the same good 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 141 

olive-tree from which the Jews were broken off. The 
same Saviour was Head of the Church, and people were 
saved by the same Gospel. 

"The Gospel was preached before unto Abraham." 
The people had the same faith, and God reigned in the 
heart then as He does now, and why, then, should this 
be called the kingdom of heaven in contradistinction 
to the Old Testament ? 

(a) Because of the clearer light of the new dispensa- 
tion, as Paul says, " The ministration of death was 
glorious," and then says, " It had no glory by reason of 
the glory that excelleth." Again it is said, " Christ 
brought life and immortality to light in the Gospel." 
Without doubt there was life and immortality under 
the Old Testament, but they were brought more clearly 
to view by Christ. That which was shadowy and ob- 
scure was clearly made known. The real Saviour had 
come, who was only shadowed before in their worship. 

The exercises were to be spiritual before, as well as 
after, Christ's coming. " To this man will I look, even 
to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit." "A new 
heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within 
you." 

{b) When Jesus came, the type gave place to the anti- 
type, the actual purchase of redemption was made. 
He made the types clear, He fulfilled the prophecies, 
He taught the truth so clearly that the people were 



142 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

astonished, and that which had been regarded as light 
before, appeared as darkness in comparison with His 
plain teaching. 

(c) In the New Testament dispensation the forms 
are less burdensome than they were in the Old. With 
the clearer light and fuller revelation of the way of life, 
many of the rites and ceremonies are no longer needed. 
Paul calls them " weak and beggarly elements," yet 
they were most wise and necessary for the times for 
which they were instituted. Having Jesus set before 
us, His finished work so perfectly answering both the 
prophecies foretelling it and the ceremonies foreshad- 
owing it, the Gospel light is as noonday, the night is 
past, the true light shines. 

(d) The Spirit is given more abundantly. That the 
death of Jesus might be known as the meritorious 
cause, not of our justification only, but of our sanctifi- 
cation, it seemed fitting, if not absolutely essential, that 
the Spirit should be given in more abundant measure 
after the ascension than before. If enjoyed in the 
same degree before as after, it would not have appeared 
so clearly that it was bestowed in virtue of Christ's 
merits on our behalf. " Through Him He hath shed 
forth this which ye now see and hear." 

(e) The Church was separated from the State after 
Christ's coming. It was to exist in every nation in the 
world, and could not therefore be united with any one. 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 143 

It was separated more markedly from the wicked. 
Henceforth it was to stand an independent organiza- 
tion, entirely separated from the civil government, 
hence no laws were given with a view to bringing the 
Church under the authority of the State, but it is 
always spoken of as an institution in itself. In this 
we recognize the goodness and love of God. 

The fact of this separation shows the inherent force 
and power of the truth which Jesus taught. He knew 
the opposition that would be made to His doctrines, 
and to those who espoused them, but He also knew 
that the power of the truth is sufficient to overcome 
finally all hostility. 

God established a Church for the benefit of the race. 
The Church is a light to the world now, as the Jews 
were before the coming of the Messiah. The Christian 
in his individual capacity, and Christians collectively, 
are a light. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 
The influence of the Church on the manners and 
morals of mankind in general, cannot be estimated ; 
its conserving influence is felt, even where it is not 
acknowledged, and where persons are really not con- 
scious of the fact that they are impressed by the in- 
fluence of those whose life and profession point them 
out as Christians. The organization, then, is a blessing 
to the world, its mission is universal in its extent ; the 
field is the world, and this indicates God's good-will 



144 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

toward all mankind, and that He would not that any 
should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge 
of the truth. The Church is a constant witness, a light 
always shining. 

f CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCH. 

Under the former dispensation the union of Church 
and State rendered the Church more prominent and 
conspicuous than it would otherwise have been. Un- 
der the new economy, because of the character of its 
institutions, their separation seems to have this effect. 
The universality of the Church, the suitableness of its 
institutions to every nation of the earth, the fact that 
the Christian religion is capable of flourishing under 
any government that will not forbid it, makes it un- 
necessary that it should have the shield of the civil law. 

But here the important question arises : What is the 
relation of civil government to the Church ? The 
Church is an independent kingdom, both Church and 
State are divine institutions ; one for the followers of 
God only; the other designed for all men. The State 
receives as citizens persons having the Christian faith 
and those who have not. It protects the person and 
property of one who makes no profession of faith, just 
as much as it does that of the true believer. It is 
God's will that every nation should have its laws and 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 145 

be governed by rulers. These rulers are God's ser- 
vants. He said of Cyrus, " He is my servant." 

There is no authority originally in one man over an- 
other. We are created independent of each other. 
One man can have no inherent right to command an- 
other. All are on one common level. The authority 
of rulers emanates from God,* who as Creator is su- 
preme over all He has made. He is the author, and 
He alone has authority. The sentiment that rulers 
derive their power from the people is correct, when it 
is understood as meaning that the people have a right 
to declare who shall administer the government ; hence 
civil authority is called an ordinance of man ;f but 
when they are appointed directly by God, as Moses 
was, the people do not have this right. All appoint- 
ments are from God, either mediately or immediately. 
Many nations have no knowledge of the Christian re- 
ligion, yet a Christian living among such people may 
receive the protection which their laws afford. Paul 
did, and demanded that those who imprisoned him 
contrary to law, should honor the law by coming to 
release him. If we accept the protection of the gov- 
ernment, it implies that we will defend that government 
when its cause is just. We are a part of it, we suffer 
with it, and it is therefore resisting the ordinance of 

■ * Romans xiii. t 1 Peter ii. 13. 

7 



146 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

God not to acknowledge its authority ; and if we be- 
long to it, it is our duty to support it, to pray for it, to 
help it with our voice and vote. 

In his Epistle to the Romans, v/ritten to Jewish 
converts as well as to Gentiles, Paul urges the duty of 
obedience to civil magistrates. To feel the force of 
what he says we must keep before our minds the fact 
that the Jews had been turbulent, and had scruples 
against obeying heathen rulers even in lawful com- 
mands ; those who had received the Christian faith 
could not be satisfied to remain under Roman author- 
ity. Fie urges these not to expect a temporal kingdom 
to be set up, but to submit quietly to civil authority, 
because all authority, heathen as well as Jewish, is of 
God, and to resist His agents was to resist Himself. 
Obedience to rulers was a moral duty. They were to 
be subject for conscience' sake, not merely that they 
might avoid punishment. 

It is the duty of all governments to acknowledge the 
supreme authority of God, as He has the right as the 
Creator to rule the creature ; but the fact that many 
of them fail to do this, does not invalidate the laws, 
nor release the Christian citizen from his obligation to 
obey them. Should we make the acknowledgment of 
God, in the constitution of a nation, the basis of our 
acknowledging the civil government to be an ordinance 
of God, there is scarcely a nation in the world, except 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 147 

it be Roman Catholic, that has a civil government. If 
this be a correct theory, there was no civil government 
in existence in the time of Paul. 

It is the duty of all nations to receive and embrace 
the Christian religion, to acknowledge Jesus Christ ; 
but the fact that the majority of the people do not do 
so, does not change the fact that God ordained civil 
government for the people. The principle that Chris- 
tians should not identify themselves with any govern- 
ment unless that government acknowledge the source 
of its authority, if carried out to its legitimate length 
would require us in this land to return to absolute an- 
archy in order to embody a clause in our written con- 
stitution containing a recognition of God as the ruler 
of the nation : for none could cast a vote for it but 
those who had no religion, and they certainly would 
not do so. 

If Christians would vote for the prohibition of the 
sale of intoxicating liquors, they would be recognizing 
the authority of government ; if they would vote for 
this, why might they not vote for a Christian man to 
take part in the government ? If it is a duty that all 
Christians should refrain from taking any part in the 
government — for example, in the United States (and 
if it is wrong in one Christian to vote, it is wrong in all) 
— then as long as the Church is in the minority, it is 
the Christian's duty to give up the whole civil govern- 



148 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

ment into the hands of wicked men and infidels. This 
is doubtless just the policy the Liberal League — an 
association of infidels — would be glad to have Chris- 
tians adopt, and they could then carry out their desire 
to abolish the Sabbath laws, and render our govern- 
ment secular, and thus injure and retard the Church's 
work, and we could have no other government until 
the millennium. A principle so disastrous in its log- 
ical results cannot be a correct one, nor in harmony 
with the wisdom of the Great Lawgiver of the nations. 

Civil government is ordained for the whole people, 
to restrain wickedness and violence. If the people 
will acknowledge the Supreme authority they will be 
the gainers ; if they refuse, they suffer. But a nation 
is a body, and if part of that body is diseased the Chris- 
tian suffers and should use remedies, but should not 
declare that he is no part nor parcel of that body. 

But as for the Church, it has its own laws : it claims 
the protection of its property by the civil law, and 
thereby acknowledges its just authority. Its duty and 
mission is to seek the reformation of the civil govern- 
ment if any of its laws are evil, and not to cast off this 
ordinance of God as though it were a corrupt thing. 

The principle which is important beyond all others, 
is the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as the Head 
of the Church, as a Royal Priest. The Church can- 
not set up a head in Christ's place. The whole Church 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 149 

is under His authority, as it is His visible king- 
dom on earth, as He is King ; there is no human au- 
thority, no human laws that can bind the conscience. 
That confusion may be prevented, and order observed, 
there may be human regulations : such as those adopted 
to govern the proceedings of a court ; but all these 
come merely under the head of expediency ; what Jesus 
appointed are commands, and come with Divine au- 
thority. 

Since the New Testament Church, then, is a visible 
kingdom of Christ, it is called the Israel of God — Zion 
— Jerusalem — and figures are taken from the Old 
Testament Church and applied to the New. These 
would be inappropriate were not the purposes for which 
they were originated the same ; for while no one under- 
stands these words as a reference to the literal places 
or people named, yet all apprehend them as meaning 
worship, or places for worship, or the people of God 
who do worship. 

It is true that Jesus was Head of the Church under 
the former dispensation, but David was king over the 
visible kingdom since Israel constituted the Church. 
Now the visible kingdom — the Church — has no other 
King than Jesus ; no pope nor bishop can take His 
place. The Church acknowledges no king but Christ, 
so He is literally on the throne of David. 



150 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR, 

THE TRANSITION. 

In setting up a new order of things it was important 
that the old should be done away; that the Jews 
should be cast off as an organized body. Paul says, 
" if the casting them away be the reconciling of the 
world," not the casting them away as individuals from 
the blessings and privileges of the Gospel, if they were 
willing to accept them ; for Paul did everything in his 
power to convert them, and he declares that God has 
not cast off His people whom He foreknew, but the cast- 
ing them away so as to prevent them from becoming an 
organized nation. God has so disorganized their nation, 
that even though they should be brought back to their 
land, and all nations should favor them, they could 
never again worship according to the law prescribed 
for them by Moses before the coming of the Messiah, 
as they are not able to discover any descendant of 
Aaron to become their high-priest. They can find no 
high-priest but Jesus, who was made High-Priest, not 
after the order of a carnal commandment, but after the 
power of an endless life. Paul says, " Has God cast 
off His people?" His emphatic answer shows that 
they were not excluded from the Gospel offer. God is 
the God of the Jews and also of the Gentiles, " For 
there is no difference." 

But the question arises : How did the casting them 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 151 

away become of advantage in the way of reconciling 
the world ? When Jesus came the Jews refused to 
receive Him as the promised Messiah. They could 
not, then, be any longer God's witnessing people, for 
to reject Jesus was to reject God, and to deny the true 
teaching of the Old Testament which they professed 
to believe. 

(a) For Him to have permitted them to continue 
an organization would have been greatly against the 
Gentiles, as it would have perplexed them to distin- 
guish as to which were the followers of God, the Jews 
or the disciples of Christ ; so God destroyed the whole 
Jewish fabric, that the Jews might no longer appear to 
be recognized by Him as His people. 

(J?) Had they been continued in their national exist- 
ence they w r ould have persisted in their fierce persecu- 
tions of God's true children, especially of such Jew 7 s as 
might receive Christ, and their influence would have 
been more deeply felt on account of their being a 
nation. Had the people been under Jewish civil as 
well as ecclesiastical jurisdiction, the}/ would have pos- 
sessed the power and means for persecuting those who 
might receive the Saviour. Entertaining that enmity 
to Jesus which has characterized most of them since 
they put Him to death, it would have been almost im- 
possible for one of their number to become a Christian. 
They would not have suffered any Jew to profess his 



152 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

faith in Jesus without putting him to death. And like 
Paul, who says, " I verily thought with myself that I 
ought to do many things contrary to the name of 
Jesus of Nazareth/' they would have regarded it as a 
duty to persecute them ; so it was for the advantage of 
the Jews themselves that they were scattered abroad. 

(c) By dispersing them, God gave His emphatic tes- 
timony to the world against them for having rejected 
His Son. It was a visible mark of the Father's dis- 
pleasure against them for this rejection. The casting 
away was therefore of great advantage to the Church, 
and conduced to the spread of the Gospel among the 
nations. 

The ingathering of the Jews to Christ will be as life 
from the dead. We can see that their dispersion was 
best for both Jews and Gentiles, and tended to the 
reconciling of the world ; and God's favor to them 
when they receive Christ will probably be as manifest 
as was His displeasure in their rejection. Besides, we 
infer from the prophecies'* that these Jews will become 
missionaries in all the lands into which they have been 
scattered. 

In establishing the New Testament Church, it was 
important that it be recognized as a system of holiness 
and purity, as well as of love and goodness. When the 

* Ezekiel xxvi. 36, etc. 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR, 153 

Spirit was given in great fullness, and the people were 
selling their property and casting the money into a 
common fund, Ananias and Sapphira agreed that they 
would keep back part of the price of their land. They 
had not been compelled to sell their property, nor 
even to give all that they received for it when it was 
sold, but they affirmed that they had sold it for only 
so much, and pretended that they had brought the 
full price to the apostles. Their falsehood showed 
their want of faith ; they thought that they could de- 
ceive God. It was hypocrisy, but perhaps no greater 
hypocrisy than has been practiced often since by pro- 
fessed believers. The judgment inflicted on them may 
seem to be severe, but consider the circumstances : 
it was the formative period of the New Testament 
Church, the establishing of a new dispensation, and it 
was a lesson to the Church through all time — an evi- 
dence to all people that the principles on which the 
Church is built are truth, honesty, sincerity, and that 
hypocrisy is foreign, alien, enmity to it. 

So love weaves its web, and all the curtains of God's 
sanctuary are of fine-twined linen with needle-work. 
And this leads us to the one grand, underlying prin- 
ciple of the Gospel. It has its foundation on the truth. 
In this it is distinguished from all other systems of re- 
ligion in the world, and stands out in bold and strong 
contrast to them. The religions originated by men 

>7* 



154 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

regarded forms merely. The supreme thought in the 
minds of the worshippers of idols seemed to be to ap- 
pease the anger of their gods, while they themselves 
continued in sin. They viewed their gods as possess- 
ing all the corrupt passions and lusts of men, as change- 
able and inconstant, and they made, or thought to 
make, atonement by sacrifice and otherwise. Their 
religion did not consist in forsaking sin, or turning 
from it, but they worshipped with the full intent of fol- 
lowing in their former course of conduct. 

The religion which Christ established affected not 
only the outward life, but also the character of the in- 
dividual. He required that His doctrines be received 
into the heart, be believed, endorsed and loved, in or- 
der that His followers be moulded in character into 
their likeness ; and this radical reformation was so 
greatly different from the ideas of the heathen, and 
from those at that time conceived by the Jews, that 
the prophet's words, " Who shall abide the day of His 
coming ? That day shall burn as an oven/' most fitly 
represent the searching tests of character applied by 
the doctrines of Christ. 

It is the motive that gives character to the action. 
In that greatest, purest, and sublimest sermon ever 
spoken — Christ's Sermon on the Mount — He begins 
by saying, " Blessed are the poor in spirit" and this 
spirituality runs through His whole discourse. He 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 155 

that is angry with his brother, and he that has a wan- 
ton heart, are sinners in God's sight, as well as are 
those whose practice proceeds from such a spirit. 

Faith that all truth is of God, and is what He ap- 
proves, and also love for this truth, are essential to a 
pure character and life. If we do not believe the truth 
and love it, as emanating from God, and believe that 
a character conformed to it is pleasing to Him, then 
we do not know the true God, for truth is the impress 
of His character. Faith, then, as it begets purity of 
heart and likeness to God, is reasonable ; and if we 
have it, we have trust and confidence in Him.* The 
faith required is the receiving of Christ and His truth, 
and this is necessary to eternal life. God provided 
means that all might obtain a knowledge of Him and 
learn the way of access to Him. 

MEANS. 

To accomplish this, He instituted the ministry, and 
ordained that this Gospel of the kingdom should every- 
where be preached, not by angels, but by men, that the 
excellency of the power might appear, or be seen, to 
be of God and not of man. The means appointed are 
adapted to the purpose. There exists a sympathy be- 
tween the speaker and hearer, heart responds to heart ; 

* John iii. 21. 



156 ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 

the hearer knows that the speaker has an equal inter- 
est with himself in this matter : that they both are 
sinners, that redemption is offered to both, and that 
both must stand before the Judge. This sympathy 
tends to persuade the hearer to go in company with 
his brother on the Christian journey. So it does not 
appear that there could be any agency better adapted 
to the purpose than this which God appointed. 

The other means divinely ordained are equally cal- 
culated to effect their purpose, and also to display God's 
love to man. It is the prominent thought running 
through the entire Scripture, that man is a sinner, con- 
demned, lost, unhappy, and that a Saviour is offering 
pardon, that it is His mission to find the lost, to make 
the miserable happy, and to restore that life which was 
lost in the fall. For this He offers to fallen sinners a 
perfect righteousness to take the place of that which 
was lost. As a lawgiver, He gave law and exercised 
authority, especially over man, an intelligent being. 
He had a just right to claim obedience. When man 
broke the law and sinned, the authority did not cease. 
The law was dishonored, the authority disowned, al- 
legiance severed, and therefore man is condemned. It 
would not be law at all, if it ignored the offence instead 
of condemning the offender. Man sinned, and in order 
that the authority of God be honored, he must be con- 
demned. What was necessary then, before he could 



ADVENT OF THE SAVIOUR. 157 

be restored, was that this sovereignty of God be recog- 
nized, and His truth, justice, and righteousness be hon- 
ored in the execution of the sentence against sin. 
How could this be done ? No one in heaven or on 
earth could answer but God himself. He says, " I 
have found a ransom/' His own Son, who was the 
author of all law, was made under the law, humbled 
Himself, put Himself in man's place, obeyed the law 
in his place, suffered the desert of his sin in its terrible 
consequences. This being done, the law was mag- 
nified and made honorable. 

But how shall the obedience of Christ become man's 
obedience ? It must be set to man's account ; there 
must be some relation between Him and man, so Jesus 
revealed His obedience and suffering, offered them to 
the sinner, and he accepts the gift, makes confession 
of sin to God, and acknowledges His authority and the 
justice of the condemnation, but says to his Judge, 
" Here is a righteousness which I accept as wrought 
out for me, and I present it as answering all the claims 
of the law against me." So what Jesus wrought out 
and suffered is accepted on His account ; the demands 
of God are satisfied, and man is justified in His sight. 
But salvation is more than simply being justified ; the 
soul must be sanctified ; so the Holy Spirit renews the 
heart, implants new and holy principles within him, 
takes away the love of sin, and renews him in the whole 
man after the image of God. 



VIII. 
THE SCRIPTURES. 

THE REVELATION. 

Here we may consider for a little the revelation 
made to the Church. An account of Christ's life is 
given briefly in the Scripture. Had all His works and 
sayings been recorded, as the Evangelist says, " The 
world itself could not contain the books that should 
be written." We have, however, a history of some of 
His wonderful works, and a statement of the doctrines 
He proclaimed. We shall briefly consider the Scrip- 
tures in general, as the Bible is a grand whole, — the 
Old Testament and the New being component parts of 
it, and in one sense inseparable. 

The will of God was made known to man, not mere- 
ly in abstract declarations of truth, but in various forms, 
in order to enlist attention and to impress the truth on 
the memory and heart. 

{a) It is given in narrative form, sparkling with life, 
describing scenes and incidents in the history of indi- 
viduals in such a way as to awaken the interest of all, 



THE SCRIPTURES. 159 

even of children ; while the mere abstract statement 
of the same truth conveyed in the narrative might call 
forth but slight interest, or be wholly disregarded. 

(&) By revealing truth in this way, the excellence of 
virtue is set forth in a most pleasing and attractive 
form. We cannot read of the childlike faith of Abra- 
ham, his unhesitating obedience, and his unassuming 
piety, without admiring these virtues ; nor can we read 
of the meekness of Moses, his unselfish zeal for the 
honor of God's great name, and of his patriotic spirit, 
without experiencing emotions of admiration, and hav- 
ing our thoughts raised to higher levels in the contem- 
plation of so noble a character. And thus the divine 
beauty of holiness is fixed on the mind. 

As the interested reader naturally desires to imitate 
the hero of the story, the impression made on the mind 
by Bible history is most healthful. The influence which 
narrative may have in forming character is seen in the 
fact, that many a youth has been led into the practice 
of the most forbidding vices in his endeavor to imitate 
the hero of the unwholesome, but fascinating tale, 
which has taken hold of his imagination. 

(c) In Scripture history God's providences and His 
agency independent of miraculous intervention are 
clearly illustrated. We are less likely to recognize 
God's hand in His ordinary, every-day providences, 
than in His miracles of power and mercy ; but in the 



i6o THE SCRIPTURES. 

history recorded in the sacred Scriptures we may trace 
His hand in every event. 

(d) The connection of providence with good and 
evil in this life is made visible. Notwithstanding 
Abraham's faithfulness, Job's patience, and David's 
love, these men had all very severe trials to encounter ; 
but we see the end of the Lord, that He is very pitiful. 
It may appear to us that God in His providence does 
not give countenance to goodness and virtue,* since 
the ungodly often seem more prosperous than the 
righteous ; but we learn from this history that a wise 
purpose, though often concealed at the time, controls 
all His dealings with man. For example, the record 
of Job's faith and patience under affliction, has com- 
forted and strengthened myriads of God's people ever 
since his victory over Satan was achieved. Many other 
reasons besides those named, may suggest themselves 
to the mind of the thoughtful reader, for so much of the 
revelation being given in this manner. The whole 
course of the history recorded, is marked by the con- 
tinued presence of God with His followers. His eyes 
have not been withdrawn from His people for one 
moment. But His revelation is given in many other 
forms: in proverbs, in psalms, in prophecy, in parables. 
This variety is agreeable ; it suits every mind ; it adapts 

* Ecclesiastes ix. 



THE SCRIPTURES. 161 

itself to each one's mode of thought, and presents the 
truth in all the freshness of a revelation made imme- 
diately to ourselves. Old truths are as new and pre- 
cious to us, as though they had never been delivered to 
any others before us ; the promises as rich and full as if 
they had not been supplying the saints for ages, but 
were meant expressly for our own needs, 

WRITERS OF THE SCRIPTURES. 

The fact that there were many writers of the Scrip- 
tures and these all harmonizing in sentiment, tends to 
the confirmation of our faith. The writers could not 
be in collusion, as they wrote at different periods, and 
each has his own characteristic style of writing : show- 
ing the genuineness of the production. Two widely 
different classes of men were chosen to this work. 

(a) The most learned among men were selected. 
Moses and Paul are eminent examples : men of thor- 
oughly disciplined minds, trained in all the learning and 
wisdom of their day ; such persons as were not likely 
to be deceived by morbid imaginations into the belief 
that they were inspired. They were men of extraor- 
dinary powers of intellect, and of such moral purity in 
their lives and writings as to command the admiration 
of all succeeding ages ; yet these men claim to be in- 
spired of God ! " The Lord spake unto Moses " is 
the language of Moses himself. Paul claims that he 



1 62 THE SCRIPTURES. 

made known that which he had received of the Lord ! 
We see, then, that the greatest and best among man- 
kind were employed to write ; but — 

(b) Unlearned men and those of humble condition 
were also inspired : those from a class noted for being 
uneducated. Amos the herdsman, and the fishermen 
of Galilee, are instances. These men obtain clear 
views of truth, and rise with their theme to the sub- 
limest heights of wisdom and purity of sentiment un- 
equalled by any authors outside of the Word of God. 
Thus God indicates that He spoke by them, that His 
word was in their mouth. 

The fact that these men should have influenced the 
world to such an extent that the most intelligent, 
moral, and religious nations should acknowledge their 
indebtedness to their teachings and principles for their 
civilization and enlightenment, is most remarkable, and 
can only be accounted for on the supposition that they 
only conveyed the teaching of the Spirit of God. The 
wisdom of God is seen in showing that by the v/eakest 
instrumentalities He can overturn the wisdom of the 
wise. 

TIMES. 

Another exhibition of God's wisdom and goodness 
appears in His giving this revelation at various times. 
(a) This shows the unchangeableness of truth, and 



THE SCRIPTURES. 163 

that each writer was moved by the same Spirit that 
had instructed others ; for while there is variety ap- 
parent in style, and in mode of thought, the same 
truth is made known by all. 

(b) God's continued love is shown in His coming 
frequently by His Spirit, and always to give more light. 
He does not give a revelation and then withdraw His 
presence from men, but He comes again and again to 
show His people His way. This was encouraging to 
them, and a token ot His continuous care. 

WRITTEN WORD. 

{a) This revelation was given in a permanent form — 
written. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
but was written, not by the finger of God, but by men. 
All that the finger of God wrote — the tables of the law 
— was hidden in the ark. We conceive that had God's 
hand, or even that of an angel, been employed to pro- 
duce the book, it would have created a superstitious rev- 
erence for the book itself, and instead of worshipping 
the author, people would have been in danger of wor- 
shipping his work. God guards His people, and never 
tempts to sin, and the revelation coming through man's 
hand would obviate this danger. 

The relics, or supposed relics, that have been gath- 
ered at various times, have been regarded as charms, 
and a kind of divine virtue is believed to attach to 



164 THE SCRIPTURES. 

them. The natural inclination of the mind to super- 
stition made it necessaay that God's will be made 
known through imperfect beings like ourselves. 

(b) It was written in order that it might be perma- 
nent : not handed down orally or by tradition, and 
thus liable to become corrupted. People, then, may 
study the will of God at all times, and these Scriptures 
are called His oracles. 

(c) Human nature is the same in all ages. Men to- 
day have the same wants, and need the same Lord and 
Saviour, that those did who lived in the Apostles' day. 
Paul says in Romans iv. 23, when speaking of Abra- 
ham's faith, " It was written not for his sake alone to 
whom it was imputed, but for us also to whom it shall 
be imputed, if we believe on Him who raised up Jesus 
our Lord from the dead." If we are in any perplexity, 
we shall find relief in the same way, and from the same 
source, that the pious followers of God in ancient times 
did. Our faith is the same as that which Abraham 
had ; and in Hebrews xi., Paul encourages the faith of 
Christians from the fact that the faith of the fathers 
achieved such glorious results. 

Each individual does not need a new revelation for 
himself, nor need he expect the Holy Spirit to do this 
unnecessary work of revealing God's will directly to 
him. Many persons expect to be guided by the Spirit 
independently of the word ; but is there not danger of 



THE SCRIPTURES. 165 

one mistaking his own impulses for inspiration ? That 
God's Spirit, by His common as well as special opera- 
tions, moves the heart, we are clearly taught in the 
Scriptures ; but it is as clearly taught that we are 
sanctified by the truth contained in the Word,* and 
that the Spirit ordinarily guides man by opening the 
understanding that he may understand the Scriptures. 
All are sanctified, directed, and comforted by the 
same truth, and this truth is contained in the Holy 
Scriptures. 

The Scriptures harmonize with man's necessities. 
We may search our hearts, and inquire into their 
wants, and we find in God's Word something adapted 
to them all. For example : the conscience of every 
man tells him that he has violated law and is therefore 
condemned. Even the heathen realize this. Every 
one who has the revelation of the true God made to 
him, and the holiness of His law set before him, feels 
conscious that he is guilty, and that he is therefore 
condemned. The Scripture points out a remedy in 
atonement by Christ : this satisfies the conscience, 
awakens hope, gives peace. Man feels helpless, and 
wants some one higher than himself to trust in, — 
hence every nation has its divinities. The Scripture 
reveals the true God who is able to help. Man 

* James i. 18 ; 1 Peter i. 22 ; John xvii. 17. 



1 66 THE SCRIPTURES. 

wants an object to love, that is worthy of love. 
The Scriptures make known One who is worthy of 
the supreme affection of the most intelligent beings. 
The soul feels its need of being brought into har- 
mony with God. The Scriptures teach us how this is 
to be attained. Every want of the moral nature is 
supplied. These wants could only have been anticipated 
by Him who can search the deep secrets of the human 
heart, and can fathom the depth of the Divine riches 
and grace. 

These Scriptures are the best educator of the intel- 
lectual as well as the moral nature, since they give 
exercise to every faculty by which man is distinguished 
from other earthly creatures, and present to the mind 
the grandest subjects for thought that can engage the 
intellect. Although the sacred history reaches back 
to the earliest ages — far back into the age of fable, — 
yet it is entirely free from those superstitions that 
attach to the writings of even the most learned men of 
ancient times. Such absurd legends as are recorded 
by the educated Rabbis as we have them in the Tal- 
mud, are not found in the Bible. 

The mental exercise necessary to the comprehension 
of the great truths presented in the Scriptures, is a 
pleasant and at the same time a wholesome discipline. 
Considering merely the intellectual gain from reading 
it, we should make a great mistake should we banish 



THE SCRIPTURES. 167 

the Bible from our common schools. One who under- 
stands the Word of God, and has its precepts stored in 
his memory, cannot be called ignorant. He may not 
have a knowledge of the sciences, nor be considered 
learned, and yet may be a much wiser man than many 
who do understand these, and have but little acquaint- 
ance with the Word of God, The Word is, then, — (a) 
The best portion ; (J?) The best comforter ; (c) The 
best educator. 

HISTORY OF ONE NATION. 

Why does God give us in the Scriptures the history 
of only one small nation, a comparatively insignificant 
people, while but little is recorded of other nations so 
much greater and mightier than they? Why is so full 
an account given of Saul and David, and not of heathen 
kings, except as they were connected with Israel ? It 
is because they were the people whom He had chosen 
as His witnesses, and the record of His providences 
toward them shows : (a) His special delight in those 
who love and serve Him, and His care of them. He 
does not give such tokens of His care to those who re- 
ject Him, and are not obedient to His law, and there- 
fore He does not mention, except incidentally, His 
providences regarding them. (&) He honors His own 
people before the world. They may be few in number, 
comparatively very few, yet He honors them above 



1 68 THE SCRIPTURES. 

the many, (c) He encourages His people to hope in 
Him. In His providential dealings v/ith others we learn 
His love for His own. For the same reason that He 
gives the special history of some of His most faithful 
saints, instead of giving all in general history, does He 
give the special history of the one people whom He had 
chosen, instead of the universal history of mankind. 

SUBJECTS. 

We observe, again, that in the revelation but little 
attention is given to science. The Scriptures do not 
enter into an extended account of the process by which 
the earth was prepared for man and made habitable ; 
nor do they give a description of the different kinds of 
soil and climate, nor explain the causes of the vari- 
ous changes that occur in nature. It is reasonable to 
ask : Why in a Divine revelation were so many inter- 
esting subjects allowed to pass unnoticed and unex- 
plained ? 

(a) Man has the book of nature wide open before 
him. He can study it, and obtain from it much in- 
formation. The study itself is both a profitable and 
pleasant employment. It was unnecessary, then, that 
with the materials at hand, and with the ability to in- 
vestigate and understand, that a Divine revelation re- 
garding natural science should be given to man. 

(£) More particularly: Had such things been made 



THE SCRIPTURES. 169 

known, it would have seemed like placing them on a 
level in importance with spiritual things, and would 
have had a tendency to take the attention from the 
more important truths. 

The Word of God sets the redemption of the soul 
above every other consideration, and continually dwells 
on the evil nature and consequences of sin and the ne- 
cessity of redemption. It makes this the great theme, 
because it pertains to man's best and eternal interests. 
To have implied that any other subject had an import- 
ance comparable to this, could not, humanly speaking, 
have failed to produce evil effects. 

{c) We are naturally more inclined to give attention 
to things relating to the visible, physical world, than 
to religious truth ; so that to have had dissertations on 
natural science would have diverted the mind from 
spiritual truth. We do not need a revelation to stim- 
ulate us to the study of these subjects. The revelation 
is given for man's highest good ; and while it is a ben- 
efit for us to discover truth from nature, it would have 
been a positive injury to us to have had it revealed in 
God's Word. Nature never could make known to us 
the way of salvation, so God has magnified His Word 
above all His great name, because He is glorified more — 
that is, His perfections are more conspicuously set be- 
fore us in redemption than in the works of creation. 



8 



170 THE SCRIPTURES. 

PLAN. 

The plan of the Scripture, as well as the writing 
itself, was of God. In both the Old and New Testa- 
ments He begins with an historical account of events, 
and gradually leads on by the inductive plan into the 
deeper mysteries of truth. The narrative is given in a 
plain, simple, yet dignified style. All can comprehend 
it, yet its simplicity does not detract from its dignity, 
and all must feel a reverence for its Author. The in- 
terest being awakened, its readers are thus led through 
" the waters that are first to the ankles, then to the 
knees, then to the loins, then deep waters, waters to 
swim in ";* but each part of the revelation bears some- 
what on the other. All rest on the foundation promise 
that the Saviour would come, or on its fulfilment that 
a Saviour has come. 

The Old Testament opens with an account of the 
creation. We are told that God is the Creator, that 
He made man upright, that man fell, and that a Re- 
deemer would come. That He might direct mankind 
to the proper object of all religious worship, and pre- 
serve from idolatry, the revelation opens by declaring 
the greatness of the only true God. The very first 
verse reads, " In the beginning God created the heav- 
ens and the earth/' 

* Ezekiel xlvii. 1-6. 



THE SCRIPTURES. 171 

But the New Testament begins with a history en- 
tirely different. There is no reference to the creation, 
except to show that the Creator of the world is come 
a light into the world, and it traces His genealogy 
back to the first man, and gives the perfect chain that 
reaches back and links on the whole history to the 
ancient promise, u The seed of the woman shall bruise 
the head of the serpent." The history begins with 
Christ and ends with Him. Prophecy after prophecy 
is shown to have been fulfilled in Him ; and the 
great events planned by God in eternity, and what 
He wrought in preparing the world for the coming 
Messiah, are made so plain that a child can understand 
them, and the emphatic seal is put upon the truth de- 
clared : that Christ is the wisdom of God and the 
power of God. 

The Evangelists give a record of His works and His 
sayings ; this is followed by an exposition of His teach- 
ings in letters written to churches and peoples ; and 
finally comes the prophecy containing the history of 
the kingdom of Christ down to the time when Jesus 
shall come again, and gather all His redeemed ones 
into the home which He has prepared for them. Thus 
are His followers led on and on, their minds imbued 
more and more with the truth, and the union of their 
hearts with the heart of Christ made stronger and 
stronger with the golden cords of wisdom and love, 



172 THE SCRIPTURES. 

as Hosea says, 4< I drew them with cords of a man, 
with bands of love." 

RECORD PRESERVED. 

The wise superintendence of God in the preservation 
of His Word in its purity is visible. Several things 
combined to prevent the change or corruption of the 
record. 

(a) The Scriptures were put beyond the reach of 
change or adulteration by the parties and divisions 
that arose in the Church ; and although written by 
various authors, their language could not be changed 
without the fact being proclaimed by an opposing 
sect. 

(b) The superstition of the Scribes made them most 
careful that not a letter should be altered. 

(c) The Scriptures were translated into Greek about 
two hundred and fifty years before the coming of 
Christ, so that no alteration in sentiment could be 
made without detection. 

(d) Just at this period the Hebrew ceased to be the 
vernacular language of the Jews. With an intermixture 
of Chaldaic it was still spoken by some, but under the 
Roman rule the Latin language was extensively adopt- 
ed, and the Hebrew became to all intents a dead lan- 
guage, and the Word of God was thus preserved from 
being corrupted. Every language in common use is 



THE SCRIPTURES. 173 

subject to change, is constantly undergoing some modi- 
fication in the meaning of words. Many words in the 
English language had a different meaning at the time 
the Scriptures were translated, from that which is now 
attached to them ; for example, the word " prevent," 
meant to go before ; others — as " to wit " — have be- 
come obsolete as there used ; so that it was really a 
guard of the purity of the text for the original Scrip- 
ture language to sink into disuse. 

The care taken of the sacred Word appears in the 
time when the translation into Greek was made. It 
was when that language was nearest its perfection, 
when it was strongest in expression, and at no time 
was the language capable of giving a fuller or more 
complete meaning of the original Hebrew than at that 
period. Again, in the New Testament times the an- 
cient Greek became practically a dead language, so 
that whatever advantages may accrue to the student of 
the ancient Greek from his having a knowledge of mod- 
ern Greek, he does not use it in the critical interpreta- 
tion of a word. When the Scriptures were translated 
into English, that language was pure and strong — not 
as afterward adulterated with French and other foreign 
words, that have rendered it less forcible and express- 
ive. The hand of God that is always full of mercy, 
and which drops sweet-smelling myrrh, is conspicuous 
in this care of the word of truth. There can be 



174 THE SCRIPTURES. 

nothing so divinely beautiful as truth revealed in its 
simplicity, unadorned with the drapery of ornate lan- 
guage, or obscured with multiplicity of words. 

It is no argument against God's Word, that many of 
the great and rich and noble reject it ; it is humbling 
to their pride, it requires men to act honestly ; and as 
there are greater temptations to those in high position, 
than to those who are in the more humble walks of 
life, it is rather an evidence that the truth revealed is 
from God that the proud and self-confident rejected it, 
while its power was felt by those whose minds were 
susceptible to heavenly impressions. Its wisdom, its 
inherent excellence, its tones of love, the hope it sets 
before us, and the joys it promises, all bear the stamp 
of the signet-ring of Israel's mighty King. 



IX. 
AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

The reign of love and grace is no less conspicuous 
in the history of the New Testament Church after the 
close of revelation than before it. We have not an in- 
spired account of God's providences toward the Church 
after the first century, except so far as light is thrown 
on it by prophecy ; but the history of its establishment 
and its perfect organization leads us to expect much. 
The ancient arts, many of them, were lost, not on ac- 
count of any opposition to them, but through the negli- 
gence of the people. Is there any reason to believe 
that any portion of the inspired Scriptures which was 
opposed was also lost ? We think not. The difference 
between the two was great. God had given promise of 
the continuance of the Church. His Spirit still inspired 
His people with a holy affection. They loved the truth 
as that which gave them that true freedom that was 
above all things sweet to them, and God— whose ways 
are different from ours — so directed that those things 
that seemed to threaten the very existence of the 
Church, were made the means of its advancement. 



176 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

PERSECUTIONS. 

The Romans at first regarded the Christians as a 
branch of the Jewish people, and permitted them to 
enjoy their religion in Rome; but when it was under- 
stood that their religion was neither Jewish nor Pagan, 
they began to persecute the followers of Christ, and 
multitudes were put to death. 

But (a) this opposition brought Christianity into no- 
tice, and it became more widely known than it would 
otherwise have been. It is well known that the 
Christians of the early Church were noted among the 
idolaters for their firm adherence to their principles, — 
so much so that the pagans were amazed and could 
not understand it. The persecutions which were de- 
signed by the enemies of the religion of Christ to 
destroy those who had embraced it, and to frighten 
those who had not from doing so, were made, in the 
providence of God, the means of bringing the truth 
conspicuously before the people; and even the secrecy 
with which they were compelled to conduct their wor- 
ship had its influence in persuading the people that 
there was a hidden power in the Gospel that it was de- 
sirable to understand, and the idolaters, even, wished 
to learn wherein its great power lay. 

(&) These persecutions exhibited the purity of char- 
acter of these witnesses for the truth. No charges of 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 177 

sin or disloyalty to law, or crime against their fellow- 
men, could be brought against them. The only accu- 
sation against them was that they worshipped the one 
God. The patient sufferings and noble witness borne 
to the truth could not fail to exert a wholesome influ- 
ence on the world ; so the blood of the martyrs became 
the seed of the Church, and multitudes embraced the 
Christian faith. 

(c) God in His wisdom taught the world the truth of 
the Scripture declarations that the natural heart is 
enmity against God. He taught the intensity of this 
enmity, and that man therefore without a heavenly 
teacher and guide never could have attained to the 
truth ; that the Scripture must be a Divine revelation, 
since its teachings are contrary to the natural incli- 
nations of man's heart, as they breathe love in every 
line. 

(d) The persecutions to which the Christians were 
subjected, not only showed the enmity of the natural 
heart to the religion of truth, but the cruelty and un- 
reasonableness of those who were governed by prin- 
ciples the opposite of those implanted in the heart 
through the Scriptures, and therefore the corruption of 
idol-worshippers or those who embraced a religion 
emanating from man. These cruelties were committed 
by worshippers of other gods, not by atheists. 

The charge has sometimes been brought against true 
8* 



178 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

Christians, that they were intolerant, and even that 
they were persecutors, and we are compelled to admit 
the fact that on some occasions this spirit was dis- 
played ; but we should bear in mind — 

(a) That this was but the remains of the spirit which 
they possessed before their conversion, and could not 
be charged on religion itself. When the disciples of 
Jesus asked permission to call down fire from heaven 
to consume the hated Samaritans for their ill-treatment 
of Him, Jesus replied : " Ye know not what manner of 
Spirit ye are of," — you mistake the character of My 
kingdom. " Put up thy sword into its sheath " is the 
command of the Church's King. The spirit of per- 
secution is not the spirit of the Gospel, but of the 
natural man. 

(b) That there were peculiar provocations to incite 
them to avenge the wrongs which they had received. 

(c) The instances were generally those in which the 
Christians felt that their own liberties and rights were 
imperilled by suffering those who opposed them to re- 
main among them. In the New England colonies, for 
example : the fathers had come to this land for free- 
dom to exercise their religion unmolested, and it 
would have been unnatural and weak for them not to 
guard with jealous care the liberty they found in their 
new home. 

The persecutions endured by the Church were made 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 179 

a blessing to it in the way of keeping it pure. No 
worldly gain was to be expected as an inducement to 
unite with it. Jesus tells His disciples that they must ex- 
pect persecution, and when a certain man in the ecstasy 
of admiration for Jesus says, " Lord, I will follow Thee 
whithersoever Thou goest," Jesus answers, " The foxes 
have holes ; and the birds of the air have nests ; but 
the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head." 
The man no doubt thought that Jesus would establish 
a grand temporal kingdom, and that he would be a 
loyal subject, and perhaps he anticipated some worldly 
gain. Jesus discouraged all such expectations. The 
members of His Church must be His followers, and 
join His visible kingdom through love of its King — to 
honor Him and serve Him. 

Prosperity tends to corrupt the Church, and to bring 
into it such as do no honor to the religion which they 
profess to receive ; so that we see that God governs 
wisely and in love, although the outward condition of 
His people may not be as prosperous as that of the 
ungodly. God will doubtless give His people all the 
prosperity that is good for them to enjoy. Had not 
the Church been founded on the immutable truth, it 
would have been overthrown by these persecutions ; 
but though a little band, with no sword, without any 
weapons of defense, it withstood all the opposition of 
a hostile world. 



180 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

EFFECTS OF CHRIST'S TEACHING. 

{a) The teaching of Jesus revolutionized thought. 
The teaching of the most noted philosophers did not 
change the current of popular thought as did that of 
this Nazarene. The heart of man was laid bare and 
exposed to view ; the foundation of true morality was 
laid ; the necessity of holy principles, and of actions be- 
ing based on holy and pure motives, was inculcated. Di- 
vinity shines forth from Jesus so brightly that wherever 
the Gospel comes, people feel condemned if they do 
not receive Christ into the heart, while the heathen 
who have not His teachings are satisfied with the ex- 
ternal observances of their religion. He laid down 
foundation principles on which to build. People learn 
to think correctly by obtaining correct fundamental 
principles. 

(b) Christ's mission did not merely revolutionize 
thought, but it intensified thought. The people were 
in the habit of accepting as truth whatever their lead- 
ers would declare, as appears from the fact that the 
rulers claimed the right to reprove the Jews for believ- 
ing "in Jesus, or receiving any doctrines other than 
those declared by themselves. They ask — as though 
the question itself was a final setting aside of the 
doctrines taught by Christ — " Have any of the rulers 
or of the Pharisees believed on Him?"* The teach- 
* John vii. 48. 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 181 

ing of Christ, on the other hand, brought the peo- 
ple to feel that they must think for themselves, and 
decide for themselves concerning the truth declared, 
and led them to place less confidence in those who had 
been leading them. Christ's words appeared good to 
them ; they seemed reasonable and just, and they em- 
ployed their minds on the subjects brought to their 
attention. " The common people heard Him gladly." 

Where men are not permitted to differ in opinion 
from their instructors, they cease to think for them- 
selves and become intellectually enfeebled, but by ac- 
cepting the truth that each man is accountable to God 
for his belief, they become not only stronger morally, 
but gain strength intellectually. Christian nations are 
in point of intellect superior to those who have not the 
knowledge of God, because they exercise their minds 
more actively. Jesus was therefore a great Reformer, 
and He adopted the only true plan of reformation, 
that of reaching the foundation of all action, and awak- 
ening the latent energies of the mind. 

(c) A great reform was inaugurated by His teaching 
men their relation to one another : not merely the rela- 
tion of those belonging to the same kingdom of grace, 
and united by an outward visible profession of faith, 
but their universal brotherhood as members of the hu- 
man family. That last interview of Jesus with His 
disciples before His ascension is fraught with wisdom 



1 82 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

and divine love. The disciples saw Him again alive ; 
He had risen from the dead, and with their confined 
views of His mission, and limited conceptions of their 
relation to others, they ask the question, " Wilt Thou at 
this time restore the kingdom to Israel ? " What must 
have been their astonishment when they heard the 
Master say, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
Gospel to every creature ; baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. " 
That kingdom, then, must be universal. 

When the Spirit was poured out on the day of 
Pentecost they understood its meaning. It would re- 
quire self-denial for them to go outside of their beloved 
Judea and proclaim the Gospel to idolatrous worship- 
pers, but it was a work that in itself was educating 
them in the great principle of love to man. It brought 
them into closer likeness to the great heart of the Sav- 
iour, who loved the world and gave Himself for it. 
" Lo, I am with you always," was His promise. It 
was His will and He would go with them in the mis- 
sion. They would be laborers together with Him ; 
but we may imagine a somewhat perplexed state of 
mind in them, after hearing Him say, " I am with you 
always/' and almost immediately seeing Him ascend 
into heaven. Some of them would be tempted to 
think that He would again appear, and would perhaps 
expect Him to return at once. The day of Pentecost 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 183 

explained the meaning, and they felt the presence and 
knew the promise was fulfilled, although they did not 
see Jesus after the flesh. This gave them a more just 
conception of the spirituality of Christ's kingdom, as 
well as a more comprehensive idea of their duties to 
mankind. 

This principle of universal charity was inculcated 
wherever the Gospel was preached. Collections were 
taken up for the poor saints of Jerusalem, in the Gen- 
tile congregations in Macedonia and Achaia. These 
poor of the church at Jerusalem were Jews, while 
we know that those who contributed were Gentiles, 
for Paul says, " If the Gentiles have been made par- 
takers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to 
minister to them in carnal things." * Nothing was bet- 
ter calculated than this to form the bond of love between 
Jews and Gentiles and to lead them to recognize their 
oneness in Christ. On the other hand, Paul, who was 
a Jewish convert, says, " I am debtor both to the 
Greeks and Jews." This was a great revolution, for 
all history goes to show that there was a marked sepa- 
ration before; but Jesus taught that all belong to a 
common brotherhood, for "God hath made of one 
blood all nations of men for to dwell in all the face 
of the earth." This was an important step toward rec- 

* Romans xv. 27. 



1 84 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

onciling the world unto Himself, and had wonderful 
influence on the subsequent history of the world. 

(d) The most potent influence brought to bear for 
the reformation of the world was the revelation of the 
character of God, and of the purchase of salvation. 
The change wrought on the hearts of those who re- 
ceived Christ's doctrine was radical, but we speak of 
the general effect of the Gospel on the world. Man's 
conception of God's character was at that time very 
imperfect. According to his ideas, God was only a 
being like man, and the idea of His holiness was al- 
most lost. Jesus came, and by His words taught 
what God is: and being the express image of His 
person, He by His life exemplified the true character 
of God, and He says, " I and my Father are one "; 
when Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father," 
Jesus answered, " Have I been so long time with you, 
and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that 
hath seen me hath seen the Father ; and how sayest 
thou, Show us the Father?" 

God is invisible. u No man hath seen God at any 
time "; finite mind cannot comprehend Him. We 
may speak of His infiniteness, and say He is infinite, 
eternal, and unchangeable in His being and in all His 
perfections, but the mind has but a short reach in any 
one of these directions. One may talk glibly of the 
distance of the sun from the earth, or the distance of 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 185 

the earth from some fixed star, and may tell us how 
the distance is computed, and yet have no compre- 
hension of the distance itself. We cannot compre- 
hend the distance to the nearest planet, but still we 
may have the knowledge that it is very great. 

Man needed to have his conceptions of the attri- 
butes of God not only made more clear, but he needed 
them enlarged. The life which Jesus lived while on 
earth did much to accomplish this. So it is said that 
we see God in the face of Jesus Christ — that is, we 
see God in the person of Jesus Christ : face is put for 
the person. The perfections of God shone out from 
Christ's life and teachings ; the holiness of God was 
displayed in Christ's uncompromising condemnation 
of sin, in His denunciations of woe against those 
who practice it, and in His dying to free men 
from it. The inflexible justice of the Almighty is 
seen in Christ's drinking of the cup of God's wrath 
to the dregs, before man could be saved. The in- 
finite love is shown in His suffering through His 
whole life poverty and reproach, and in His enduring 
the contradictions of sinners against Himself, and 
eventually dying the most ignominious death, such 
as was inflicted only on the worst of malefactors. 
The patience and forbearance of God were shown in 
Christ's still blessing those that would turn from sin to 
Him, even though they had put Him to death. 



186 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION, 

The jews imagined that they knew God ; they 
would not at this time serve an idol; the Scribes and 
Pharisees thought that they were the peculiar favor- 
ites of Heaven, and that they served God and were 
most worthy because of their long prayers and alms- 
deeds ; but Jesus tells them that they knew neither 
Him nor the Father. And because He did the will 
of His Father — holy deeds — therefore they sought 
to put Him to death. Their rejecting Christ was re- 
jecting God, for He was God. " He that receiveth 
me, receiveth Him that sent me"; " He hath com- 
mitted all judgment unto the Son, that all men should 
honor the Son even as they honor the Father." The 
Pharisees, therefore, were mistaken about their loving 
God — as Jesus says, "I know you, that ye have not 
the love of God in you." In order to a reformation 
of men they must have an exalted conception of God, 
for they become like the god which they serve. Their 
makers are like them,* and they grow more in their 
likeness, the longer they worship them. In Jesus 
Christ the glory of God appears, for He was manifest 
in the flesh. " We see as through a glass darkly," but 
no conception can be given of God like that which we 
have in the life, doctrine, and works of Christ. Thus 
was God's character displayed. 

* Psalm cxv. 8. 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 187 

MOTIVES. 

{a) That man's life might correspond to the dignity 
of his nature, and that he might fulfil his mission in 
the world, Jesus set before him the highest aims of 
life. He presented high and holy motives for serving 
God. Man is to seek not merely to be happy, but to 
be happy in holiness. The glory of God, the love of 
truth — which is the love of God — must be his motive 
in action. Any motive or aim that falls below this, 
fails of being worthy of man. Love of truth, because 
of its intrinsic excellence ; love of God, because He 
is the God of truth, and desire to honor the glorious 
perfections of God — these are the grandest and most 
worthy principles that can exercise the powers of soul 
and heart in man. 

If our aims be right, we seek to become like Christ, 
who is God ; and we thus exalt and ennoble the nature 
which He has given us, and so peace and love, truth 
and justice are promoted. If man's highest aim was 
to be merely his own happiness, it would beget self- 
ishness in him, he would set his own enjoyment above 
God ; but when his aim is the glory of God, he must 
seek to be free from sin, to be brought to holiness, and 
as a necessary consequence to happiness that God may 
be glorified. If our aims are high, our attainments 
will correspond to them ; if our aims are unworthy, we 
suffer in consequence. 



1 88 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

(J?) Again : Christ exalted God's law, and in it all 
just law, and therefore the Gospel makes men good 
citizens of the State. Jesus showed to the world that 
not a jot nor a tittle of the Divine law could pass away. 
This was contrary to the general belief of men. The 
idea had taken possession of many minds that if man 
would live as nearly perfect as was possible for him, 
God would relinquish the unfulfilled part of His law ; 
but such a thing is impossible for a sovereign, holy 
God of truth. 

The question simply is as to a fact, " Has man 
sinned ?" The answer must be an affirmative one. 
Truth, then, declares that he is condemned. He re- 
mains condemned necessarily until his sin is removed ; 
but sin can be removed only by the law being fulfilled 
and its penalty satisfied. The conception of Christ's 
satisfying the law, and suffering the penalty of its vio- 
lation, presents to the world a much more exalted idea 
of the Divine supremacy, justice, holiness, and truth, 
than the supposition that God might have surrendered 
His law, because man had broken it and rendered 
himself unable to fulfil it. We observe, then, — 

{a) That in all its several parts the work of Jesus 
displays divinity. Its plan, its execution, its applica- 
tion are all worthy of God, and far beyond human 
power either to devise or effect. And the influence of 
Christ's brief life of thirty-three years on earth is seen 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 189 

in the change wrought on the face of all lands in which 
His teachings are received. Wherever the Gospel is 
received the people are more enlightened, prosperous, 
industrious, peaceable, and happy than where this is 
not the case. The civilization of our own country has 
its foundation on these Gospel principles, and if this 
foundation be destroyed, our civilization as a people 
will come to an end. So, although many in this coun- 
try do not recognize the hand that showers on them 
such great blessings, still they are not the less indebted 
to the unseen hand of the Son of God for all, and there 
is not a nation on earth to-day that is not more or less 
influenced by the sacred teachings of Christ through 
the Church. The Church was at one period so much 
under the power of the world, that for a time it lost 
its spiritual beauty. All people speak of that period 
as the dark age; and yet there was scholastic learning: 
the teachers inculcated the theories of the wise philos- 
ophers of Greece, and followed the tradition of the 
fathers. The people became ignorant because they set 
aside the teachings of God's Word, and though some 
of the principles of the philosophy of Aristotle — one 
of the greatest among the ancient learned men of 
Greece — were accepted, yet the doctrines which he 
taught could not shed the light, nor bring the peace and 
order, the prosperity and happiness that were produced 
by the teachings of the humble Nazarene. 



190 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

(b) We have no rational way of accounting for the 
crimes, cruelty, and misery that prevailed in all lands 
where the doctrines of the Scriptures were rejected, 
except by receiving the declaration that the natural 
heart is enmity against God, and therefore is not sub- 
ject to His law. Nor can we account for the complete 
transformation effected by the knowledge and belief of 
God's Word, but on the supposition that Scripture 
truth is a revelation from God, and is truth which man 
could not find out for himself. 

(c) Love is the underlying rock on which the Church 
is founded. " God so loved the world, that He gave 
His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 
Where this principle governs the conduct of men, it 
transforms the wilderness into an Eden, and therefore 
it was important that this part of Jesus' teaching should 
be made as prominent and impressive as possible : 
so He gives the direction, " Do unto others as you 
w r ould have them do unto you." His whole work was 
the work of love, and was done not only to exhibit 
His own love to mankind, but also that His example 
might impress this lesson of love on men. So His mir- 
acles were characterized by mercy, and wrought for the 
relief of suffering humanity. The blind received their 
sight, the deaf heard, He made the lame to leap as an 
hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing. Under the 



AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 191 

most unreasonable persecutions He opened not His 
mouth, and He taught His disciples to bless those 
who persecuted them, and to pray for those that de- 
spitefully used them. " Bless, and curse not/' Peter 
holds forth Christ's example, who, when reviled, re- 
viled not again. 

(d) In His going about doing good, and giving the 
multitudes an opportunity of bringing their sick to 
Him, this love is exhibited. Instead of setting up a 
school of prophets in Jerusalem and teaching His doc- 
trines, and permitting the people to bring their sick to 
Him on certain days, He went from place to place, and 
called twelve men to follow Him, that they might be 
witnesses, and He Himself taught the common people. 
He did not leave this for His disciples to do, as though 
it was a work not sufficiently honorable for their Mas- 
ter to engage in. He was weary with His great work, 
but not weary of it ; He spent His strength in minis- 
tering to others, and His witness to the truth of God, 
for the honor of God and the good of man, at last sub- 
jected Him to the cruel death of the cross. It was all 
for the good of the Father's house. He loved the 
Church, and gave Himself for it. 

The whole world has received in some measure light 
from Christ, but His believers and followers see the 
true light and rejoice in it. The love of Jesus that 
made Him yearn over the sinners of Jerusalem is exer- 



192 AFTER THE CLOSE OF REVELATION. 

cised to-day, and He gives a loud call to sinners to 
come to Him ; He gives an earnest call, a plain call : 
" See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh from 
heaven, for if they escaped not who refused Him that 
spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we 
turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven. ,, The 
universal call to all men everywhere to repent, should 
be sufficient to convince every reasonable mind that He 
is willing to save all that will come. 

Christ fulfilled, as the restorer of His people, all the 
law of Moses ; it must, then, have been a good and 
holy law ; if Jesus so honored it, it must have been 
worthy of honor. Whatever He did, honored the Fa- 
ther, and was for the interest of a perishing, sinning 
world. 



X. 

REFORMATION. 

FOR a long time previous to the Reformation in the 
sixteenth century darkness covered the earth, and gross 
darkness the people ; still, there were some who re- 
mained faithful in their allegiance to Christ. Great 
need for a reformation w T as apparent. The chief 
thoughts that engrossed the minds of men were con- 
cerning the best way of establishing their worldly inter- 
ests. The spirit of worldliness prevailed even among 
the professed followers of Jesus. It seemed impossible 
to effect a reformation, because the corruptions were en- 
couraged and promoted by the chief officials in the 
Church. Popes and cardinals, prelates and priests gave 
countenance and support to all the immorality prac- 
ticed by its members, and, in fact, were the principal 
offenders themselves. The times needed teachers en- 
lightened by the Spirit of God, well instructed in the 
Scripture, men of courage, strong in faith. 

(a) Though men had so abused the mercy of God, 
He had pity on them. The Church seemed to have 
forgotten the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel^ 
9 



1 94 REFORM A TION. 

and it was necessary that these teachers should know 
the truth, by having experienced its power to comfort 
and strengthen. 

Luther was raised up to do a great work for the Lord, 
and that he might be well qualified for his work, he 
was left to struggle for years with a conscience bur- 
dened with a sense of guilt. He put all the inventions 
of the Church to the test to free himself from guilt, 
but though he scrupulously observed all its ceremonies, 
and underwent the tortures of penance, yet he could 
find no relief, and failing to obtain any satisfaction 
from all that he could do for himself, he found comfort 
in the faith of Jesus Christ, the only true source of 
comfort. God thus prepared him for declaring the 
great doctrine of justification by faith, as He had 
before prepared Paul to write on that subject by 
giving him experience of the emptiness of all self- 
righteousness. Luther was now able and anxious to 
proclaim to others the salvation which he himself had 
found. His faith was strong, and his love for God and 
men was ardent. He was made courageous by the 
new faith he had found, and stood up bravely to cor- 
rect the existing evils in the Church, and to proclaim 
the almost forgotten doctrine of salvation through the 
atonement of Christ. It gave a new impulse to men ; 
they felt their individual accountability to God, be- 
came convinced that they should make their con- 



REFORMATION. 195 



fessions to Him instead of to a priest, and accept of 
Jesus as their Mediator instead of the Virgin or any 
saint ; that they should trust in His atoning blood in- 
stead of in their own merits or the prayers of paid 
priests. It was only because God prepared the way 
and qualified His servants that the work was accom- 
plished ; but we should observe — 

(U) That the people were in a condition for receiving 
the Gospel. The Church had become so corrupt both 
in doctrine and practice, and its priests so exacting 
and mercenary, that they began to feel its oppression 
and to lose faith in it. The reason and common sense 
of the people could see through the veil, and the sin- 
cere began to long for something purer and better ; so 
the way was opened and the instrument prepared at 
the same time, and the world awoke as from a long 
sleep. Of those days God had spoken in the Revela- 
tion, the prophecy was now fulfilled.* 

Luther was not the only one whom God qualified 
for this great work; others arose simultaneously in 
other places — perhaps equal to him in zeal and ability. 
The Church to the latest period of its existence will 
cherish in grateful memory the names of Calvin, Zwing- 
lius, QEcolampadius, Melancthon, and many others. 
Their names are so embalmed that they can never 
perish. 

* Rev. xvi. 



1 96 REFORM A TION. 



The instances of God's remarkable interposition in 
behalf of the Church are numerous. We shall not 
mention many of them ; there are, however, one or two 
that we think too important to pass by unnoticed : as, 
for example, the way by which the people of England 
were brought to the enjoyment of liberty, and the dif- 
ferent circumstances that combined to give to Germany 
her thrift and learning. 

The signing of the Magna Charta by King John 
marked an epoch in English history, and secured the 
people in their liberties and rights. " From this era 
a new soul was infused into the people of England." * 
They had submitted to the tyranny of the king — who 
was as weak as he was cruel — until they became weary, 
and determined to demand redress and protection for 
the subject. The weakness of John was the salvation 
of England, and the Magna Charta so unwillingly 
signed has always been regarded as the basis of her 
constitutional freedom. 

In Germany, early in the seventeenth century, the 
Protestant cause was rapidly declining. Ferdinand II. 
schemed to annihilate it, and his plans indicated suc- 
cess; but Providence raised up Gustavus Adolphus, 
who defeated him ; and the Swedes and French shortly 
after compelled Ferdinand III., his successor, to con- 

* Hallam's " Middle Ages," p. 424. 



REFORM A TION. 1 97 



elude the treaty of Westphalia, which they themselves 
dictated. " This salutary peace laid the foundation 
of the future greatness and prosperity of the German 
Empire." * 

Civil liberty, wherever it exists, is clearly traceable 
to the religion that is founded on the Gospel. First 
the soul is made free by it, and whenever one feels that 
he is personally accountable to God, he is no longer 
contented under the tyranny of man. He cannot be 
enslaved when he knows that rulers are only God's 
agents in government. He knows that they are not 
doing God's will when they rule with an oppressive 
hand, and he is therefore unwilling that they should 
usurp authority and oppress him, as though they had 
a natural superiority to him, or had a right over him. 
The only way to preserve civil liberty, then, is by in- 
doctrinating the people in the grand principles of the 
Gospel that make known the liberty of the soul 
through Christ, and make man feel that he is to answer 
personally to God and not to man. The civilization of 
all enlightened nations might be traced to these prin- 
ciples as its true source. 

AMERICA. 
The time came to demonstrate to the world that 
civil liberty is founded on the moral teachings of the 



* Tytler's History, p. 219. 



1 98 REFORM A TION. 



Bible. God designed to make a great free nation that 
should enlighten the world on the subject of liberty 
and the rights of man. We learn His design from that 
which was actually done. 

By the persecutions which He permitted their ene- 
mies to inflict on the Puritans of Great Britain, their 
lives were made bitter and they longed for rest in a 
place where they might worship God in peace and 
according to the dictates of their own conscience, and 
they sought it in America, a new land across the sea. 
The undertaking was perilous ; the new home was not 
only far away from the home of their childhood, but 
one among savages and wild beasts. Will they flee 
to a land in which they will be surrounded by savages 
rather than dwell among a people who believe them- 
selves to be civilized, and many of whom even pro- 
fessed to be religious ? Such is even the case. They 
preferred to dwell among those who knew nothing of 
the Gospel, rather than with "those to whom it came, 
but who put out its light. Freedom had its defenders 
among these stalwart Christians. They were the in- 
spiring spirit of all that was accomplished by the 
American Revolution, as any one may learn from the 
most reliable histories of the United States. They 
prized the boon for which they had paid so great a 
price. The prosperity which freedom brought has 
exerted an influence on almost all the nations of the 



REFORM A TION. 1 99 



world. There are few, if any, which have not felt 
the impulse that has been given by this successful 
experiment of self-government. They have learned 
the desirableness of liberty, but have not attained to 
the knowledge of what is the foundation of this great 
blessing to mankind. This country has been a place 
of refuge for the persecuted, an instructor of nations, 
and an example of the conserving power of the Gos- 
pel, and its future destiny depends upon the " virtue, 
intelligence, and patriotism of its citizens." We are 
destined either to learn that Christianity can bind the 
greatest people into one, or that the want of it can 
destroy the mightiest of the mighty; but God will 
make the end, whatever it may be, bring about the 
knowledge of Himself and be a blessing to the world. 
The independence of the people in this country, 
and the fact that all are allowed to hold and propa- 
gate their views on religious subjects, occasions the 
existence of numerous sects in the Church. The 
people think for themselves, and hence it is that 
there are more denominations of Christians in the 
United States than are to be found in any other 
land. Sentiments and opinions change as people 
think differently, and consequently view the teach- 
ings of the Word from different stand-points. 



XL 
PROSPECT. 

The present condition of the world gives us ground 
for confidence that all nations will be brought to a 
knowledge of the true God. All parts of the world 
are being opened to the Gospel, and the experiments 
of governing independently of God, and of practic- 
ing religions invented by man, have been tried and 
found wanting. The minds of men becoming disen- 
thralled are looking heavenward ; their eyes are be- 
ing fixed on the Star of Bethlehem. They long for the 
morning which shall be made bright and fruitful by 
the rising of the Sun of Righteousness. They do not 
yet see the light, but are restless in the belief that 
there is a light, a better way, a truer life. 

The many inventions made at the present day will 
no doubt be utilized for the advancement of civiliza- 
tion and religion ; but so long as men live in the dark- 
ness and ignorance of paganism the use of labor-sav- 
ing machines could only result in harm to the people. 
Time is but a burden to those who have not a desire 
to improve nor the intelligence to enjoy reading or 



PROSPECT. 201 

useful conversation ; but where the service of God is 
enjoyed, and knowledge is appreciated, for the hours 
of labor to be shortened is a blessing. The inventions 
and discoveries that are made may become helpful as 
educators and civilizers, but of themselves can never 
make a people prosperous or happy. 

The way that is being opened up of late years for 
the spread of the Gospel shows us the hand of God. 
The people of Africa owe a debt of gratitude to the 
indefatigable Livingstone and to the resolute Stanley 
for opening a door for the truth to enter in among 
them. Intercourse of nations, the increased facilities 
for travel, and the interchange of thought are likely 
to contribute toward the diminishing of the super- 
stitions of the nations in heathendom, and to enlarge 
their conception of their mission in the world and to 
bring men — as men — to realize that they have a com- 
mon origin, a common brotherhood, and a common 
interest. 

As light naturally spreads, we at the distance of mill- 
ions of miles enjoy the light of the stars, but there was 
a time when the sun shone on the earth and the dark- 
ness comprehended it not, but its constant shining 
lifted the fogs and blessed the earth. Jesus, the great 
Light of the world, lived here, preached and instructed 
the people, yet how few really accepted Him ; but 
the light still shines above the clouds, and to-day the 



202 PROSPECT. 

Church numbers more than ever before, and is becom- 
ing more fruitful. 

THE LABOR PROBLEM. 

We find much misery still in the world, much dark- 
ness, much sin. The spirit of lawlessness and discon- 
tent is rife in some sections of even Christian countries, 
and it is carried to the extent of violence and the re- 
sistance of lawful authority. The rising of labor against 
capital is greatly to be deplored. May we not hope 
that this antagonism is but temporary, since the man- 
ufacturer is benefiting the laborer as much as the la- 
borer is benefiting the manufacturer. 'The advantage 
is mutual : their interests are not antagonistic. 

Civil law is not perfect, and if it were it does not lie 
within the range of civil authority to form and adjust all 
business relations. These must be left in a good meas- 
ure to individual management ; yet civil law is designed 
to regulate the conduct of men when these relations 
have been formed. It does not make the contract for the 
individual ; but when it is made, the law requires its 
fulfilment. It does not compel men to enter into com- 
mercial relations ; but if they do, they must observe 
certain rules, so that one person may not take advan- 
tage of another. There are certain principles which lie 
at the foundation of all these regulations, such as — 

{a) God gave each man a right to all he earns. The 
laborer is worthy of his hire. 



PROSPECT. 203 



(b) He has also a right to all that he inherits. If 
one has a right to property, he has a right to dispose 
of it as he will, and therefore the inheritor of it has a 
right to possess it. 

(c) The design of law, while it instructs, is mainly to 
protect people in their rights and to maintain justice 
between parties. The common law of England is 
founded principally on decisions of cases brought before 
judges.* The government does not own the people, 
but is set over them to see that justice is done in the 
several business relations between parties. 

(d) Whenever one man's carrying out his own will 
would interfere with the rights and privileges of an- 
other, his being restrained or prevented from doing that 
thing is not depriving him of liberty. No man ever 
had the right to carry out his own will when it was 
contrary to the interests of others; for example, one 
may drive on the public highway in any part of it as 
he pleases — on the right-hand side, the middle, or on 
the left side — and no one can interfere with him ; but 
if he meet another driving in the opposite direction 
he must go to the right, that the other may pass him ; 
he does not surrender a right by turning aside — he 
never had the right to interfere with the other's right. 
The idea that we surrender any individual rights by 
belonging to a government is not correct. 

* Blackstone's Com., p. 50. 



204 PROSPECT, 



{a) The labor question has always been regarded as 
a difficult one. It has agitated the English people ever 
since England became a manufacturing nation ; it has 
agitated the world, indeed, almost from the beginning. 
It is necessary that man should labor, and there must 
be capital in order that employment may be given. 
As it is to-day, so it was centuries ago in Rome: 
the number seeking employment exceeded the de- 
mand for laborers. To remedy this state of things, 
Rome found it necessary to adopt what are known 
as agrarian laws, allowing the people under certain con- 
ditions the use of the products of the public lands. 
This plan, however, did not satisfactorily solve the 
problem ; the agitation has continued to the present 
time, and has not been fruitless of good results. A work- 
man receives now more than three times the wages 
he did in Queen Elizabeth's time,* and the price of 
manufactured articles has diminished. If the work- 
man receives good wages, he will use, because he can 
afford to do so, more of the products of the loom and 
the forge ; and the more of these sold, the greater the 
profit to the producer: so that increased wages is not 
solely for the advantage of the workman, but is also of 
advantage to the producer. 

(b) The danger is that the masses expect too much 

* Macaulay's History of England, Vol. L, p. 325. 



PROSPECT. 205 



from the government itself — as though the government 
could enrich all its subjects. Even the workingmen 
have no definite policy which they could carry out, and 
they expect much that is beyond the reach of legis- 
lative power. A man's labor is valuable just according 
to the profit the employer receives for it. But accord- 
ing to the present system we must take into account — 
First, the capital invested in machinery. Second, the 
wear and tear of it, the risks of the capitalist, and the 
necessity of securing himself in the event of failure to 
sell his goods during the present year, or the year to 
come, so he must have capital on hand to meet emer- 
gencies. Third, he should have a surplus in order to 
secure the workmen in employment in the future. 
Fourth, he is entitled to more than those whom he 
employs, because of the weighty responsibility and care 
resting on him. Co-operative associations have gen- 
erally proved a failure. 

Of the whole amount produced it is ascertained that 
more than ninety per cent, is consumed, and wages 
are regulated accordingly. There must be some stand- 
ard. Take an example : One man digs a well for an- 
other on his farm ; it requires six days to complete the 
work. Without that well he could not raise cattle, his 
land would be valueless, and he has no means of sup- 
port if he leaves his farm. That well has been the 
means of making him thousands of dollars, and has 



2o6 PROSPECT. 



enabled him to live in comfort, if indeed it has not 
saved his life. Should he, then, give the laborer who 
dug the well more than the standard wages for six 
days' work? Should he divide with him the profits? 
On the other hand, if a long-continued drought had 
dried the well ; or better, if excessive rains had broken 
the subterranean channels and a living fountain of wa- 
ters had burst out, so that the well was useless, should 
the laborer return the wages he had received ? It is 
evident that we cannot regulate wages on this basis, 
but on the general basis of profits and risks. 

Shall we follow the communistic plan, or that which 
is near of kin to it, Fourierism ? Even Horace Greeley, 
who was at one time so favorable to this, saw the im- 
practicability of successfully carrying out such plans 
while human nature remains so miserably corrupt as 
it is. Communism, instead of making labor a pleasure, 
takes away the inspiring motive to activity. It is in 
human nature to desire to possess. We want some- 
thing we can call our own, and while the manly spirit 
of liberty and independence remains in us, we will de- 
sire to have possessions. It would outrage human na- 
ture to be restrained from owning property. Without 
the prospect of making something to possess as their 
own personal property few would be induced to be in- 
dustrious. Man must have an aim in life in order to 
his being happy or contented, and that aim must be 



PROSPECT, 207 

more than simply to exist. Communism, then, would 
necessarily be against advancement in civilization and 
improvement. The motives to invention would be 
wanting. Progress in all the means for improving 
labor would be retarded ; as a consequence the active 
mind would give way to the baser desires of its nature 
and man would sink instead of rise. The labor re- 
quired of us is a restraint and is a means for our eleva- 
tion. 

Under the Jewish economy every man had a portion 
of the land. May we not have similar laws, and divide 
the public lands among the poor? This might be well; 
but if a general distribution were made, how long 
would the possessions be retained ? Some are much 
more able to manage in business than others — some 
will become poor and some rich. Never will people 
become equally endowed in worldly goods. Shall the 
land be made inalienable? Even the Jews required 
jubilee years in which the lands returned to the origi- 
nal owners. The Jewish law was an excellent one, but 
we must bear in mind that it was for God's people, and 
was suited to them ; but the laws required in our coun- 
try are for people of all characters. 

Would it be just or reasonable for the moral and re- 
ligious and sober to be compelled to support those 
who yield to drink and to sins of defilement? The 
moral man does not ask that a burden be laid upon 



2o8 PROSPECT, 



them for him. It would be necessary, before there can 
be a prosperous community, that burglary, intemper- 
ance, and impurity cease. Should a distribution of 
lands be made and the saloon remain, what shall be 
done with their lands in one, two, or three years ? 

It does not pertain to the government to take the 
rightful property of the individual unless it be for its 
own defense. The government has no more right to 
take the individual's property, than the private citizen 
has. Not as much, for it is in covenant, so long as 
he is a subject of it to protect him in it. But would 
equality of possessions be of any real advantage to the 
world ? If we pause long enough to strike an average 
of the amount that each one would possess were all on 
an equality, we should find that no one would have 
more than a competence. No one would be able to 
purchase more than the plain necessaries of life. Those 
articles that are costly, the manufacturing of which 
gives employment to thousands, could not be pur- 
chased, and their manufacture must necessarily cease. 
Hence there could not be that variety of employment 
that now exists ; and as multitudes would be thrown 
out of employment, they must seek it in other lines of 
work, of which the supply already equals the demand, 
and thus positive injury would be wrought. The 
trouble on the labor question arises in great measure 
from three causes : 



PROSPECT. 209 



(a) The excessive haste of both employer and em- 
ployed to become rich. The former will engage work- 
men for day and night rather than divide a contract, 
and the laborer desires to maintain himself not only 
in comfort, but is ambitious to make a display and sur- 
pass others. 

(b) The trouble arises from unsubdued selfishness in 
whichever party is able to take advantage of the other, 
without making the interest of both the interest of 
each. Thus a kind of rivalry exists where there should 
be mutual desire for each other's welfare. 

(c) It arises from the pride and arrogance of riches 
on the one hand, and of envy on the other. 

What can be done to prevent the oppression of the 
poor? 

(a) A limit can be rightfully made as to the amount 
of land the individual may possess. 

(&) The government may regulate wages as it does 
the interest on money, for labor stands related to cap- 
ital, as interest does to principal. Capital is putting 
money to use. According to the risk assumed should 
be the profit. An insurance risk is greater when its 
policy is on a ship than it is on a house, and the per 
cent, is correspondingly higher. But government can 
fix wages only where there is something definite, as 
where the work of one kind is uniform. Skilled work- 
men can do better work, and more of it, than those w r ho 



2io PROSPECT. 



are unskilled, and they will, and ought to, receive more 
than others. In general labor it is impossible to estab- 
lish a fixed rate of remuneration. Railroad fares it 
may determine, because the work is uniform ; but even 
in this, much allowance must be made for accidents, 
the amount of business, etc. 

(c) Government may fix the number of hours that 
shall be reckoned a day, but it is obvious that wages 
and labor must be regulated principally by individual 
contract, and the individual must be governed by cir- 
cumstances. Economy must be used by both employer 
and employ^. 

The remedy for this evil is found nowhere but in the 
Gospel law of kindness and love, and until the spirit of 
the Gospel actuates men, the world will labor in vain 
to correct the evils. Vice must cease, charity must 
reign. Pride must be conquered and selfishness sub- 
dued, and in the spirit of the heavenly Master the 
world will move together in universal harmony. The 
religion of Christ is the only power that can adjust the 
relation of capital and labor. Obedience to God's law 
is the only efficient remedy for all confusion and lack 
of harmony. 

MILLENNIUM. 

That a glorious day is awaiting the Church seems to 
be expected by all. From the promise of God to 
Abraham, and from numerous promises since, the peo- 



PROSPECT. 211 

pie of God are looking hopefully for the day to come 
u when the wilderness and solitary place shall be glad 
for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as 
the rose "; and this expectation inspires Christ's ser- 
vants to labor for the conversion of the heathen. What 
the character of that day shall be, whether Jesus will re- 
turn in His human nature and visit His Church on earth, 
or whether He will come only by His Spirit, are ques- 
tions that we cannot answer with absolute certainty. 
That He will so come at the last day, as He was seen 
to go into heaven at His ascension, all or nearly all 
Christians believe. But whether He will come in the 
human nature to reign a thousand years before that 
time is not so plain. A few thoughts that suggest 
themselves on these millennial years may not be out 
of place here. 

{a) It does not seem inconsistent with any part of 
the revelation to understand the reign of the thousand 
years to refer to His spiritual reign, without requiring 
us to understand that Jesus will be present on earth 
in His human nature. We know that it must be a 
spiritual reign, whether Christ come personally or not. 
In no way can the world be subdued to Christ but by 
His Spirit. When He was here in His state of humility, 
though the people saw His miracles, — such as giving 
the blind their sight, healing diseases that no merely 
human power could cure, raising the dead to life, — 



212 PROSPECT. 



yet they rejected Him. They also heard His heavenly 
doctrines, full of wisdom and love, such as had never 
proceeded from the lips of man ; but it was not until 
after His ascension that the Spirit was poured out so 
abundantly. On the day of Pentecost, in one day three 
thousand souls were converted. It takes more than 
even the glorified presence of Jesus to subdue the heart, 
and make it loyal to the kingdom which He has set up ; 
therefore, whether He come in the human nature or 
not, His reign must be spiritual, and the reference to His 
coming must apply principally to its spiritual character. 
{b) Jesus has not forsaken the world, and the prom- 
ises seem to accord better wdth the interpretation of its 
being only a spiritual reign, — for example, that of the 
inbringing of the Jews being as life from the dead. 
That the angel shall carry the Gospel to all that dwell 
on the earth ; many people shall run to and fro, and 
knowledge be increased ; — do not these things indicate 
that the conversion of the world will be accomplished 
by a gradual process, and through ordinary means, in- 
stead of by a sudden appearance of Jesus in the flesh ? 
So that however grateful a thought it may be to a 
lover of the blessed Lord, to anticipate seeing Him 
here on earth, instead of waiting a little longer to see 
Him in glory, yet the second coming of Christ will 
probably be to judge the world, and that will be at the 
last day of the Church on the earth. 



PROSPECT. 213 

(c) The thought of Jesus leaving His saints in heaven 
that He may dwell with some of them on the earth, or 
of His bringing heaven's ten thousand times ten thou- 
sand down to earth to live with those remaining here, 
and simply changing heaven's location for a thousand 
years, seems almost visionary; but if it is so revealed 
we would accept it without one doubt of its being 
wisest and best. 

The goodness of God to the world is the matter be- 
fore us. We have the promise that the kingdoms of 
this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and 
of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. 
This at once determines their character. Universal 
peace shall prevail. They shall beat their swords into 
ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hook^. 

When peace obtains among nations, and such har- 
mony exists that one nation will not be jealous of 
the increasing strength of another, nor look on a 
portion of another's possessions as an eagle watch- 
ing for its prey, and when the interest of one peo- 
ple will be the interest of all, standing armies will not 
be needed and therefore will be disbanded, and all per- 
sons will be engaged in the pursuit of that which is 
profitable and right. Then will be realized what the 
fearful cost of maintaining ambition, selfishness, and 
sin in the world had been. But as nations now are, 
with sin in the hearts of the people, corruption in their 



214 PROSPECT. 



desires and purposes, they are not prepared for a state 
of peace. War seems a necessary concomitant of the 
present condition of things, and is an evil only as the 
physical result of a deranged moral and political econo- 
my, and as it becomes itself a cause of increased moral 
disorder. 

In that day, with hearts made pure by the Spirit of 
holiness, the people will have aims consistent with the 
Divine law of kindness and charity, and the world will 
be prepared for a state of perfect peace, and all will be 
able to pursue a course of life that will produce domes- 
tic happiness and personal comfort. 

The result of this state of things will be that the 
population of the earth will greatly increase. The 
earth is capable of sustaining a vast increase of peo- 
ple. Many parts of it are but sparsely settled, and 
were it densely peopled, the earth would yield a sup- 
ply for all. Not only will the same extent of territory 
be at command that we now have, but it will be much 
more productive. " Then shall the earth yield her in- 
crease, and our God shall bless us." As it is, immense 
quantities of the fruits of the earth are destroyed in 
various ways : by insects, by drought, or by a super- 
abundance of rain. Then the rains will come in their 
season and the destroyers of the fruits of the earth will 
be consumed. 

The labor of man will probably be no more energetic 



PROSPECT. 215 



than it now is, nor is it likely that so many hours will 
be employed in work as at present. The greater part 
of the day is now taken up in toil, and this is so severe 
that when the day is done the workingman is too weary 
to engage in any intellectual pursuits or pastimes or 
even in social intercourse ; the children of the house- 
hold are neglected and life is comparatively but little 
enjoyed. People have not yet learned how to live; 
often this long-continued labor is required that the em- 
ploy^ may continue in his situation ; he is subject in 
this to his employer and often is required even to in- 
fringe on the Sabbath day ; but in that promised peri- 
od, the hours will be fewer and the labor less burden- 
some. 

That this will be the state of things we are warranted 
in inferring from the prophecies regarding it. 

(a) The age of man will be increased greatly. u A 
child shall die an hundred years old,"* — that is, a hun- 
dred years will not be considered a very old age. The 
inhabitants shall not say, " I am sick";f that this may 
be the case it would be necessary that one should not 
be worn out with hard work and anxiety, and that the 
condition of his home and surroundings should be such 
as would bring cheerfulness and sunshine to his soul, 
for life is shortened by the cares and anxieties w r e en- 

* Isaiah Ixv. 20. t Isaiah xxxiii. 24. 



216 PROSPECT. 



dure. Those things which generate disease will be re- 
moved, and the land cleansed from all that is noxious 
and unhealthful. 

{b) In looking on the lands only partially subdued by 
the hand of the diligent, and in contrasting the modes 
of life followed by those who are Christianized with 
those in heathenism, we can see the transforming pow- 
er of the Gospel even upon our worldly condition. It 
is pure even to causing one to desire purity of person 
as well as of heart, so that the average length of life is 
greater in Christian than in heathen countries. 

(c) The intelligence and refinement produced by the 
sweet and holy principles of God's truth, will beget a 
love for the beautiful. All that adorns and beautifies 
the face of the earth will therefore be cultivated, so 
that the earth will smile in sympathy with man : this 
we know from the fact that the earth will be subdued 
according to man's desire, and he will conform it to 
his ideas ; and when the earth is fruitful, and all that 
is harassing to the feelings or distasteful is removed, 
and all men live in unity and peace ; when the culti- 
vated taste of the masses will call for literature and 
science, art and music of such a kind as will ennoble 
the nature, and exalt in the likeness of the Creator, — 
then will be the perfect golden age. 

But prosperity when long continued is apt to beget 
forgetfulness of God, and Satan will be loosed for a 



PROSPECT. 217 



.little season ; man's depravity will again appear, and na- 
tions will be gathered again to battle, and the mighty- 
armies be arrayed for the deadly conflict. 

When Jesus shall appear in glory and all His holy 
angels with Kim, and all peoples and nations and king- 
doms shall be called before Him to judgment, the 
dead shall rise, those remaining on the earth shall be 
changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The 
great separation will then be made of the righteous 
and the wicked, and these shall go into everlasting 
punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. 



10 



XII. 
THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT. 

THROUGH all its vicissitudes and trials, in all its 
laws and appointments, in all the providences and 
revelations concerning it, the guiding hand of its King 
and Head is seen upon the Church. The gates of hell 
had put forth all their powers to crush it. They had 
said, " Raze it, raze it, even to its foundations "; but the 
strong hand of God supported it and conducted it 
through all its fiery tribulations, and now being brought 
off conqueror and more than conqueror, a garland of 
unfading glory crowns it. 

The new Paradise into which God's people will be 
received is not described fully and minutely ; those 
who are but imperfectly sanctified could not look on 
its glory with unveiled face. It is presented to us as 
the brightness of the New Testament dispensation was 
to those who lived before the coming of our blessed 
Lord. The wisdom of the Perfect One was shadowed 
by the royal son of David ; His strength was dimly 



THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT 219 

seen in the divinely strong son of Manoah. The Di- 
vine attributes of the coming Messiah were but faintly 
shadowed forth in various ways ; so is the glory of the 
redeemed more wonderful than that seen by the three 
on the mount of transfiguration. So great is it, that 
Paul, who had been caught up to the third heaven, 
was not permitted to utter what he had seen. 

{a) First and above all, there will be no sin there, 
nothing that defileth ; but the robes of all will be 
made white in the blood of the Lamb, spotlessly 
white. 

(J?) There will be no suffering there, but all tears will 
be wiped away. Where no sin is, there is perfect hap- 
piness ; neither the guilt nor power nor pollution of 
sin will be upon any. 

(c) It will be a place of glory. The children of God 
all gathered home into their Father's House shall be- 
hold the glory of God, and see Jesus in the human 
nature and ever be with Him. 

(d) They will have the society of perfect and glori- 
fied saints, and join with Moses and David, Asaph and 
Solomon, and a multitude which no man can number, 
in singing " the song of Moses and the Lamb." They 
will behold the angels and doubtless hear from their 
lips of their errands of love to the Church. 

(e) They will, we imagine, increase in knowledge, 
learning more and more of God's works, and will never 



220 THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT, 

weary in studying the profound mysteries of His good 
hand in the scheme of redemption ; and the crown of 
glory that wreathes their brow shall never fade, but 
grow in lustre, world without end. Amen. 



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